She received a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 2004 from Oklahoma State University. She worked in the zoo industry for several years before continuing her education at Michigan State University where she received a Master of Science in Zoo & Aquarium Management (2008) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science (2013). During her graduate training she worked as an intern with the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute (2008), was a Junior research fellow at Wageningen University (2011), and was the technician for the Animal Behavior and Welfare Laboratory at Michigan State University (2008-2014). She worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Center for Animal Welfare Science at Purdue University (2015).