Lori is an instructor in the History, Political Science, Philosophy and American Studies Department at the University of South Carolina Upstate. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2006 with dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in both history and Appalachian studies. In the spring of 2008, she earned her Master of Arts in history and is currently a history doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky. Her primary responsibility is teaching introductory-level history classes. Her areas of interest, research, and teaching focus on America since 1865, Appalachian and Southern history, American foreign policy since 1945, military history, and gender and war. Prior to entering academia, Lori served in the Navy and was a paralegal for more than 13 years, specializing in civil and family law.