Paul, Minnesota. She received her B.A. in political science from St. Olaf College and received her Ph.D. in political science from American University. She has authored or coauthored six books and numerous journal articles. Her most recent book is Women and Politics: Paths to Power and Political Influence. Her journal articles appear in PS: Political Science and Politics, Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Women & Politics, and Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics. Her research interests include women and politics, executive and bureaucratic politics, and representative bureaucracy. In 2007 she received the Erika Fairchild Award from the Women's Caucus of the Southern Political Science Association and was awarded the Rita Mae Kelly Distinguished Research Award from the American Society for Public Administration in 2004.