She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Communication from Villanova University and her Ph.D. from Rutgers University- Newark. She has a master’s degree in human rights from Columbia University and a master of music in voice from New Jersey City University. She and colleagues at the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers-Newark reviewed the State of New Jersey Department of Treasury’s Performance Budgeting program for Governor Christie’s administration. She currently serves as the Executive Secretary for the national Section for Women in Public Administration (SWPA) of the American Society for Public Administration, and on the Board for Empowerment Collaborate of Long Island (ECLI), a nonprofit that serves victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.