She obtained her MS degree at the University of Utah and PhD at the University of Arizona. She currently teaches graduate courses related to medical speech-language pathology and adult neurogenic disorders, guides student research, and supervises graduate students in the NAU Speech and Hearing Clinic. In the past, she has served on the ASHA Multicultural Issues Board. Her areas of research interest include mild traumatic brain injury/concussion with college athletes, pragmatic deficits in clients with chronic traumatic brain injury, multicultural issues in communication disorders, and community re-entry following neurogenic disorders.