She was previously an assistant professor of the same at the University of Texas at Arlington. She received her PhD in public affairs, with a specialization in criminal justice, from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Her primary areas of expertise focus on state fragility, comparative penology, and gender disparities. Her work has been published in a variety of journals, including The British Journal of Criminology, Violence Against Women, and Women & Criminal Justice. She is also the coauthor of the book Corporal Punishment Around the World. She is an active member of the Council on Undergraduate Research, where she serves as both a councilor and issue editor for The CUR Quarterly.