After graduating from Midland High School, I attended Albion College, a small private school in Michigan. I majored in Psychology and Spanish, and spent my Junior year abroad in Madrid, Spain. During my Senior year I decided to apply to graduate school in art history. I received my Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Rutgers University. A Fulbright grant enabled me to research my doctoral dissertation in Spain.

I have also earned my TEFL (Teacher of English as a Foreign Language) certification, a diploma in Spanish culture, and I have received museum/gallery training at various institutions, including The Jewish Museum in New York.