[4] Born in Huntsville, Alabama, Parks attended Virgil I. Grissom High School.

After performing post-doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,[6] she began as a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Colgate University in 1997.

Her research has used time-domain terahertz spectroscopy to study single-molecule magnets[7][8][9] and GHz resonators made from carbon nanotubes.

She also has ongoing projects to quantify insulation in buildings and to make solar trackers appropriate for developing nations.

For instance, the introductory course on Atoms and Waves was taught in both a standard format and in a "flipped" style.