Now in her eleventh year, she regularly teaches Introduction to Macroeconomic Analysis, Money and Banking, Intermediate Macroeconomics, Monetary and Fiscal Policy, and her department's capstone course for majors: Economic Research Methods. She has also taught the core macroeconomics and core mathematical economics courses for her department's M.A. program. Her research focuses on monetary economics -- specifically the Federal Reserve System's formulation and implementation of policy. Van Gaasbeck has served on a variety of department- and university-level committees including her department's assessment, graduate, and hiring committees. A native of Chula Vista, Calif., and graduate of Smith College (1997), she received her doctorate from the University of California, Davis, in 2002. She lives in Sacramento with her two cats, Max and Lilly. Also, she likes Diet Coke, swing dancing, and The Wire.