Nancy Martorano received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Rice University in 2002, and joined the University of Dayton as part of the Political Science faculty as an assistant professor in the fall of that year.  She teaches the following courses in the Department of Political Science: American Political Systems, Political Analysis, Urban Politics, Public Opinion and Political Behavior, and Interest Group Politics.  She also teaches courses on Urban Administration and Intergovernmental Relations in the Masters of Public Administration program.  Her primary research interest is the legislative process in state legislatures, but she also conducts research in the areas of urban politics, Southern politics, political parties and interest groups, and state legislative electoral politics.  Her work has appeared in the following academic journals: American Review of Politics, Journal of Legislative Studies, State Politics and Policy Quarterly, and Legislative Studies Quarterly (forthcoming).