She is a certified physical activity and public health intervention specialist (American College of Sports Medicine certification). She is recognized for her expertise in physical activity and cowrote “Rural and Urban Park Use and Park-Based Physical Activity” in Preventive Medicine. She draws on her research experience in exercise science and leisure studies to investigate the unique contribution of public parks and recreation to healthy lifestyles. She is a member of the American Alliance for Physical Activity Research and the National Recreation and Park Association. She has MS and PhD degrees in recreation and leisure studies with coursework emphasis in sociology and race studies from Texas A&M University.