I grew up in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington with a B.A. in Political Science. In the years between undergraduate and graduate study I lived in Helena, Montana where I worked as a community organizer for the Montana Senior Citizens Association and as Secretary for the State & Local Government Committee in the Montana State Senate. In 1994 I served as the Campaign Manager for Hoosiers for Jill Long (D, IN-4). Collectively, these experiences profoundly shaped my interest in legislative institutions, political parties, and women’s political candidacy. I earned my Ph.D. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University where I also served as a Senior Lecturer and joined the UMW faculty in 2003.
In my free time I enjoy playing and watching tennis, hiking, reading, and traveling with my family.