She earned her Ph. D. in applied mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh , where she wrote her dissertation on a mathematical model of the optical finishing process for telescope lenses. Since then, she spent a year's sabbatical reviewing the literature on women's issues in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), has written a review essay on bibliographic materials in this area, and has given a talk on gender differences in spatial visualization skills. She is currently working on an annotated bibliography and on the development of a course on gender issues in mathematics and science.