Her teaching and research focus on early America, the Civil War, African American history, women’s and gender history, and public history. She collaborates with students, museums, schools, and other partners to promote public understanding of the past. Recent projects include a walking tour developed with Coe students & the African American Museum of Iowa and a historical markers project with Coe, the AAMI, City of Cedar Rapids, and others. Her research will focus on her work incorporating service-learning projects of different scope and focus into history courses.