Biography
I am a professor of political science at Purdue University. I received my PhD from The Ohio State University in 1996. My research and teaching focus on public opinion; the mass media; the politics of race, class, and gender in the United States; and the ethical, legal, and social implications of technology. I am the co-director of Diversity and Culture of Inclusion (DCI) for the Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE) Engineering Research Center. The DCI team works closely with the Engineering Workforce Development team to advance diversity, build an inclusive center, create pathways to success for diverse STEM students, and pursue a sustainable and equitable transportation future. I am also part of ASPIRE’s adoption research thrust and am working on a project that examines media coverage of electric vehicles. I have published three books and more than thirty journal articles, many of those co-authored with students. The fourth edition of my co-authored textbook, Public Opinion: Democratic Ideals, Democratic Practice, was published in 2021. I was a founding co-editor of the journal, Politics, Groups, and Identities. I co-led the Indiana chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network (2018-2021) and served as president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society (2018-2020). I served as head of the Purdue Department of Political Science from 2012-2018. I was the interim director of the Purdue Policy Research Institute from 2018-2019 and continue to serve on its Faculty Leadership Committee. I also serve on the Internal Steering Committee of Purdue’s Women’s Global Health Institute. I have received several teaching, leadership, and mentoring awards as well as grants to support my research. I received the Murphy Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, the university’s top teaching honor, in 2003 and was inducted into Purdue’s Book of Great Teachers in 2008. I was awarded the 2016-17 Violet Haas Award and the 2020 Helen B. Schleman Gold Medallion Award for my efforts on behalf of women and women’s issues at Purdue.