She received her B.A. from the College of William and Mary, with majors in French and Government, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in French Language and Literature, with a Concentration in Literature and Politics, from the University of Pittsburgh. She is primarily interested in how literature and cultural production can impact perceptions of group identity. Her research interests include: French culture and history (18th century to present); Modern French politics and culture; Literature at moments of national crisis; the Marquis de Sade; and Art and Architecture as cultural production. She has published articles from 18th-century political figures to the 2002 election in France.