Dr. Hardin received her BS degree magna cum laude from Florida Southern College in 1982. She then received her Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1984. Upon graduation from law school, Dr. Hardin began practicing as an attorney in Lakeland. She specialized in the areas of business law, commercial transactions, real estate, probate, and family law until joining the staff of Florida Southern College in the fall of 1988.
Professor Hardin is the faculty advisor of Phi Alpha Delta, Pre-Law Fraternity, and the FSC Catholic Student Organization; Coordinator of the Legally Speaking Lunch & Lecture Series; Chair of the Assurance of Learning Committee for the School of Business & Free Enterprise, and past Chair of the Faculty Senate, among many other activities. She is on the board of directors for Lakeland Community Theater and a member of the Lakeland Bar Association, Florida Bar Association, Delta Sigma Pi, Sigma Beta Delta, Phi Eta Sigma, and Omicron Delta Kappa.
Her teaching interests are in the areas of legal environment of business, commercial law, legal risk management, business ethics and social responsibility, small business administration, real estate, U.S. Constitution, communications law, and legal research. Prof. Hardin has been recognized, and received awards for her excellence in teaching.