She studied at the University of Michigan and the Institute of Islamic Studies of McGill University. She teaches courses on Religious Studies including Islamic Mysticism, Religion and Art, and Pilgrimage and Tourism. She has published in the Journal of Folklore Research and Iranian Studies. Recently, she has been researching pilgrimage at Mary's House in Ephesus, Turkey. She is also continuing work on Alawi-Nusayri shrines in Samandag, Turkey. She lives in Lewiston, NY with her husband and three children.