I grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota. From there, I headed to west central Minnesota as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota –Morris (UMM), a small public liberal arts college. UMM, like the College of Wooster, actively encourages undergraduate research. It was through my experiences doing undergraduate research that I decided to get my Ph.D. and to become a professor. I knew I would be happiest in a setting like the one where I got my start – that’s why the College of Wooster is such a great fit for me! My absolute favorite part of my job is meeting students; I look forward to meeting many of you in future courses.

University of Minnesota Morris
University of Minnesota
The College of Wooster

In addition to teaching introductory U.S. National Politics, I also teach a range of upper-level courses, including: Women, Power & Politics, Political Psychology, Media and Politics, Political Parties & Elections, Public Opinion & Voting Behavior, and Research Methods.

There are three main streams to my research. First, I have conducted research on how high school civics education in the U.S. encourages – or not – young people to actively engage in politics. Second, my dissertation research and its extensions examine the ways in which political parties – and the role they play in candidate nominations – influence the ability of female candidates to be elected to office. I investigate the ways in which nomination mechanism affect reliance on gender stereotypes among those choosing the nominee. Third, I am actively engaged in sustained research regarding pedagogy in political science. My most recent paper, for example, argues that there is a divide with regard to the obstacles faculty teaching methods courses believe their students face and the obstacles their students actually perceive. My coauthor and I highlight how student learning can increase through faculty members’ first assessing student concerns about learning methods and then by designing their courses to address their fears.

Links to publications, manuscripts, working papers, etc.:

Curriculum Vitae

Women, Power & Politics, Fall 2007
U.S. National Politics, Fall 2007
Political Psychology, Fall 2007