I grew up on a small farm in rural northwestern Montana near Glacier National Park. There I became an expert at milking cows, riding horses and horrifying my parents with daring acts of cowgirl pluck.

At the age of seven I joined the local judo club and spent the next fifteen years competing in local, regional, and eventually national and international tournaments. My early competitions usually resulted in "best sportsmanship" trophies (translate: I was a big loser) but later on I became more successful, joining the United States team and traveling with it to Europe and Asia.

I earned my B.A. degree in psychology at the University of Montana, and my M.S. in general psychology (concentration in industrial/organizational psychology), Ed.D. in educational psychology, and M.A. in sociology from the University of Memphis.

I am currently Professor and Chair of the Behavioral Sciences Department at Christian Brothers University with research interests in active learning and using humor in the classroom.