She received a B.S and M.S. in Biology from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Michigan. An evolutionary ecologist, she is interested in identifying factors that shape the mating systems of grasshoppers and katydids. She currently teaches introductory biology courses in the Biological Sciences Program and Evolution in the Zoology Department. She has modernized biology teaching laboratories, authored software that extends the laboratory experience, and is a member of the Academy of Outstanding Teachers at NC State University.