She received her Ph.D. from Ohio State University in 2004. Her research and teaching areas of expertise are in comparative social change, environmental sociology, political sociology, and quantitative methods (especially structural equation modeling, simultaneous equation models, and hierarchical linear modeling). Her current work focuses on identifying cross-national patterns on an array of environmental attitudes, beliefs, behavioral intentions, and behaviors. She is also exploring the determinants of political attitudes and participation comparatively and cross-nationally. She is also engaged in projects examining democratic attitudes and identity in Poland and attitudes related to welfare state institutions across nations.