About Me

I earned my BA triple majoring in Political Science, German and Spanish from Washburn University. I then went on to earn an MA and PhD in Political science (with distinction) from Washington State University.  After teaching at Colorado State University, University of Wisconsin Green Bay and Hastings College, I came to Western Carolina University where I currently teach. 
My research interests focus on issues of democratization, gender and politics, global governance and public policy. More particularly in my work, I seek to understand the effect of democratization and European Union membership on gender equality policy in post-communist Europe. 
For the past eight years I have been teaching a variety of courses in the area of Comparative Politics, International Relations and Gender and Politics. I enjoy teaching introductory courses as well as upper level more focused seminars. My passion is to transform students in life-long learners and create a classroom environment where everyone feels empowered and eager to discover and analyze the political process.