She received her doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh in Health Psychology and completed post-doctoral work as a biostatistician and research assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and the University of Pittsburgh. As a faculty member at the University of Texas at Arlington, her lines of programmatic research focus on identifying biological, psychological, behavioral, and social mechanisms and risk factors for outcomes, such as behavior change, academics, and physical and mental health. She is currently examining the impact of technology on socioemotional processes of learning. In particular, she is examining the use of smartphones as both a possible hindrance and a possible facilitator of academic and health outcomes among college students.