I joined the University of Central Arkansas as an Assistant Professor of Family & Consumer Sciences in August 2018.  Before joining UCA, I received my Ph.D. in Consumer Behavior and Family Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  At UW-Madison, I also spent five years as Lab Manager of the Behavioral Research Insights Through Experiments (BRITE) Lab.

 At UCA I  teach undergraduate and graduate courses in our Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) program, including a Service-Learning personal finance course.  I also advise undergraduate students in our B.S. in FCS major, FCS minor, and graduate students pursuing the M.S. in FCS.  

 As a researcher, I use experiments and survey research to examine questions in the area of consumer decision-making.  I am especially interested in consumer food choice, local food, behavioral nudges, and health interventions.  I also have interests in financial decision-making and education, particularly among college students.  My work is designed to help address real-world problems, with the goal of providing useful information for individuals, producers, policymakers, retailers, and other stakeholders. Recent collaborations include projects with the Arkansas Foodbank, the FUMC-Conway Food Pantry, and Arkansas Asset Builders, as well as curriculum efforts with the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE)'s Social Studies Library.  

 If you are a student interested in getting involved in an existing research project, feel free to contact me!