Her research focuses on women and politics in U.S. state legislatures, Congress, and political behavior. Her recent book, How Women Represent Women: Political Parties, Gender, and Representation in the State Legislatures (Oxford University Press, 2012) examines how Democratic and Republican women represent women's issues under different legislative conditions. She has also published articles in Political Research Quarterly, American Politics Research, Politics & Gender, and other journals. She was named a Dean's Scholar by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa in 2012.