She is author of The Politics of Identity: Solidarity Building Among America's Working Poor and coeditor of Diversity in Contemporary American Politics and Government. Her work appears in the American Journal of Political Science, Women & Politics, and she has written numerous book chapters. She is past president of the Southern Political Science Women's Caucus and recipient, along with her coauthor, of the 2008 Sophinisba Breckinridge Award for best paper presented on gender-related topics presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association.