She received her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. Her research interests are focused on China's economic reform policies and is based on survey work that examines labor market reform and its impact on women's public and private sphere activities in Beijing, with articles in China Public Affairs Quarterly, the American Journal of Chinese Studies, and the Asian Journal of Women's Studies. In addition, she is working on articles dealing with Chinese Foreign Policy with Iran, and global sex trafficking issues in Southeast Asia.