1. I am originally from West Virginia, near Pittsburgh. This helps explain my investment in working class politics and hills, lots of hills, and hiking.

2. I became a political theorist after starting out as an empirical political scientist in college when I started asking a lot of “why?” questions about concepts and it turns out I do have this analytic bent. Plus I love working with students on ideas that have shaped our collective political lives, and ones we haven’t seen enough of, which is why my speciality is in contemporary equality politics related to gender, race, ethnicity, class, and other relevant social identities. I am also deeply invested in cultural and visual politics; I teach elective classes in this area like “Film & Politics” and “The Politics of Clothing”.

3. During graduate school at Rutgers University I lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn before it was so hip. I continue to go to NYC frequently for friends, art, food, university talks, fashion finds, and to walk.

4. I am a New York State official since being appointed to my village Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

5. I live in an 1890s house in the historic village of Round Lake. We are part of the community garden there where we usually have a good tomato harvest.

6. I did my study abroad in Vienna, Austria where I met one of my dearest friends (originally from Queens). I recently went back after many years last summer for her wedding and to celebrate her permanent move to Austria.

7. I met my wonderful husband Theo in college at the College of Wooster. He is a spectacular cook which is great since I would eat only couscous and salad, bread and cheese, if he wasn’t the daily chef. I prefer baking.

8. I have a large collection of scarves. 

9. I enjoy travel. As it turns out the only photos I have of myself that are relatively recent are from pre-pandemic trips to Rome and Rimini for a conference (thank you Dr. Wendy Pojmann for photo documentation!) and learning to ski (thanks to my husband).

10. Although many people know this, we have a dog who is a real character — Blu aka Blucito — a 20 pound husky something mix who was a rescue dog.