She has degrees in math and women's studies and a long-standing interest in the history, philosophy, and anthropology of science. In math, her work is in low-dimensional geometric topology, geometric group theory, and dynamics. She lectures widely on her research and engages in educational outreach to all ages of students, with a particular focus on broadening participation in mathematics. She has a PhD from the University of Chicago, a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation, and recently served as a plenary speaker for the American Mathematical Society.