I was born and raised in Oneonta, NY - a small, rural city in upstate New York. After graduating from Oneonta High School in 2004, I attended Gordon College, located just north of Boston, MA, where I completed a double major in Kinesiology and Spanish and received a B.S. degree in Kinesiology in May 2008. In August 2008, I began graduate school at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, PA and graduated with my Ph.D. in Kinesiology in August 2013. Following completion of my Ph.D. degree, I was a postdoctoral scholar for two years in the Women's Health and Exercise Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, the same laboratory where I performed research during my years as a graduate student. Since then, I have taught courses at Stockton University and Penn State Harrisburg. Due to my passion for the health of female athletes, my research has focused on the Female Athlete Triad, a syndrome observed among female athletes which consists of chronic energy deficiency, menstrual cycle disturbances, and poor bone health. For more information about my research interests and teaching experience, please visit the pages dedicated to those topics on my website.
In addition to teaching and research, I am also passionate about my faith, my family and outdoor activities. I am an avid runner, cyclist, and hiker, and I greatly enjoy doing these activities with my family. My husband completed his Ph.D. in Political Science at Penn State University where he researched policy diffusion, and he is now an assistant professor at Penn State Harrisburg. We have two young boys.
In addition to teaching and research, I am also passionate about my faith, my family and outdoor activities. I am an avid runner, cyclist, and hiker, and I greatly enjoy doing these activities with my family. My husband completed his Ph.D. in Political Science at Penn State University where he researched policy diffusion, and he is now an assistant professor at Penn State Harrisburg. We have two young boys.