She was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Free Market Institute. She earned a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Capital University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from West Virginia University. Her research interests include institutional analysis, public economics, and economic development. In particular, her research examines the origins of economic freedom and how globalization and technology affect governance and institutions. Dr. Sheehan has published in Contemporary Economic Policy and European Journal of Political Economy.