Her research was inspired by her own experiences participating in positive classroom communities both as an art teacher and a student. She earned a Master of Arts in Art Education from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. For the last 20 years, she has taught art in elementary, middle, high, magnet, and alternative schools, as well as homeschool settings, private setting, and higher education in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. Her research interests include creating classroom communities that support student development, arts integration, professional development for art teachers, community engagement, and teacher education. She has published articles and book chapters and presented over 30 times at international, national, state, and local conferences.