he is a native Georgian and she received a Bachelor of Music degree from Wesleyan College, an M.Ed. in Middle Grades Education from Mercer University, and a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the University of Georgia in 1998. She taught in public schools for eleven years, both as a classroom teacher and as a media specialist.

At UGA, she held University Fellowships for three consecutive years, and her dissertation work won a Certificate of Recognition from the Association for Library and Information Science in 2000. She teaches school media courses and computing courses for teachers.

Her current research involves the cognitive processes individuals use to evaluate information, usability of web-based educational resources, and inquiry as a pedagogical model.