She has a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the Graduate Center, City University of New York. She is currently working on a book, based on her doctoral research of three years of fieldwork in Bethlehem, PA. The book examines class formation and reformation through the experience of steelworkers in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Jill continues to be involved with steelworkers in Bethlehem, working with the Steelworkers Archives, Inc. to preserve the legacy of steel work. Jill has also been active with initiatives to expand teaching democracy and diversity in community college settings.