She earned a bachelor of science degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa (Oklahoma) in 1978 and a Ph.D. in petroleum engineering from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1990. She is a recipient of the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ 2015 Distinguished Membership Award. She has over 40 years in the field, including 26 years on the Missouri S&T faculty, encompassing hands-on work, teaching and research.