Brooke is an award-winning educator and researcher and enjoys teaching rhetorical theory, critical analysis, graphic novels, metacognition, exploratory writing, and cultural studies. She holds a PhD in rhetoric and composition from The University of Arizona and an MA in women and gender studies from San Francisco State University. Brooke was a Mellon Graduate Fellow ’20–21 and Bilinski Dissertation Fellow ’19–20 at The University of Arizona before starting at Utah Tech University in July 2021 as an assistant professor.
In addition to her work on rhetoric and narrative in the Israel-Palestine conflict, Brooke also researches student empowerment and teacher leadership. She believes that leaders, redefined from a top-down power-over scarcity mindset, can be anyone. Brooke presents regularly at local, regional, and national conferences, and is currently writing about “Next Gen Leadership in Academia” for an anthology. She is also developing journal articles as part of her new book project on stories of survival and rhetorics of trauma in Palestinian and Jewish culture.
In the college English classroom, Brooke is in her element. She creates an accessible and nourishing learning environment for all students with a contemplative and culturally responsive pedagogy. Brooke engages students with big questions, not to be knowers, but seekers… to help students understand they are not passive consumers but active creators. Brooke understands one size does not fit all and believes anyone can learn, anyone can write. She is conscientious about equitable grading practices and using open educational resources in her curricula.
Outside the university, Brooke might be hiking the red rock, walking her dogs around the block, hanging out with her husband just to talk, or doing yoga at the studio. Every week she looks forward to Friday at sundown, when Shabbat begins, to “unplug” and be screen-free for an uninterrupted 25 hours of sacred restoration. She always reminds herself that Shabbat is never far away.