She teaches courses on personal and family finance, family financial counseling, family resource management, economic perspectives of families, and family decision-making. Her scholarly research focus is in the area of economic well-being of families with particular interest in self-employment and family-owned businesses. Her research focuses on the Hispanic family life and she is the author of “Hispanic Self-Employment in the Southwest: Rising Above the Threshold of Poverty,” (Garland Publishing, 1997). She received her B.S. from the University of North Texas, an M.S. from Texas Tech University, and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. She served three years on the Board of Directors for the Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Education.