She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Georgia in 2009. Her research focuses on criminological theory, with particular emphasis on explaining the social psychological mechanisms through which social factors, such as racial discrimination, community crime, and parenting practices, influence offending behavior. In current research, she examines the protective effects of ethnic-racial socialization on the link between racial discrimination and offending among African Americans. Her co-authored work has recently appeared in American Journal of Sociology, Criminology, and the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.