She is originally from Florissant, MO, and received her B.A. from Oberlin College, in Ohio, M.S. in Biophysics from the University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign, and Ph.D. in Plant Physiology also from the University of Illinois. After completing post-doctoral work at Michigan State University and University of California – Davis, she joined the research team at the USDA Agricultural Research Service Crop Simulation Research Unit in Starkville, MS.