She holds a PhD in Folklore from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her research interests include legend, belief, fandom, and digital culture. She serves on the boards of the Western States Folklore Society and the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research, serves as reviews editor for the journal Contemporary Legend, and is the co-director of the Digital Folklore Project. She has made several appearances on national television and radio programs, and she is the author of the popular textbook Folklore Rules. Her work has been published in Western Folklore, Contemporary Legend, and other journals and edited collections. She is currently working on a book project, Real Virtuality: Serial Collaboration and the Small Worldview, that addresses the intersection between offline folk culture and online networks.