ROBIN BROOKS University of Pittsburgh, Department of Africana Studies P.O. Box 190881, Brookhaven, GA 31119 Website: DrRobinBrooks.com Email: rob88@pitt.edu ______________________________________________________________________________ EDUCATION 2009-2014 Ph.D., University of Florida, English 2005 M.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Afro American Studies 2003 B.A., Florida State University, English, (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) Minor: African American Studies ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS 2016-2022 University of Pittsburgh Associate Professor (with tenure), Department of Africana Studies Secondary Appointment: (2018-present) Department of English Affiliated Faculty: (2016-present) Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program African Studies Program University Center for International Studies Global Studies Center Assistant Professor, Department of Africana Studies 2019-2020; Fall 2020 Emory University Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow & Visiting Scholar Emory College of Arts and Sciences 2022 - pres. 2015-2016 University of San Diego Diversity Postdoctoral Fellow Department of English 2014-2015 University of South Florida Provost’s Postdoctoral Scholar Department of English Brooks, Page 2 ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP & MAJOR UNIVERSITY SERVICE (Selected) 2022-pres. 2022-pres. 2022-pres. 2022-pres. 2022-pres. 2023-pres. 2023-2024 2023-2026 2022-2023 2022-2023 2023-pres. 2023-pres. 2021-pres. 2021-pres. 2021-2022 2021-2022 2020-2021 2020-2021 2020 2019 2018 Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Africana Studies Chair, Faculty Grants Committee, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Chair, Student Racial Justice and Equity Fund Committee Member, Alternate, Tenure Council, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Member, Ad Hoc Review Committees for Tenure and Promotion, Dietrich Elected Member, Tenure Council Selection Committee, School of Arts and Sciences Member, Job Search Committee for Full/Associate Professor in Afro-Latinx Studies Elected Member, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Council Member, Evaluator, External Department Strategic Planning Review Committee Member, Job Search Committee for Assistant Professor in Race, Gender & Sexuality Member, Pro Tem, University Senate, Faculty Affairs Committee Member, Pro Tem, University Senate, Budget Policies Committee Elected Member, University Senate, Governmental Relations Committee Organizer and Moderator, Undergraduate & Alumni Professional Development Member, Committee for Graduate Program Development and Proposal Member, Job Search Committee for Endowed Chair of Africana Studies Member, Job Search Committee for Assistant Professor in Race and Inequality Member, Job Search Committee for Visiting Lecturer of Africana Studies Member, Promotion Committee for Senior Lecturer/Teaching Professor Member, Job Search Committee for Visiting Assistant Professor of Africana Studies Member, Faculty Diversity Committee, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (Selected) 2023 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 HERS (Higher Education Resource Services): Women Leaders in Higher Education Participated in a multi-week program focused on developing skills and critical strategies for effective leadership, administration, team building & conflict resolution Academic Impressions Participated in “The Fundamentals of Leadership: A Bootcamp for New or Aspiring Leaders in Higher Ed” that highlighted tools for mastery of equitable leadership HERS (Higher Education Resource Services): Women Leaders in Higher Education Participated in a leadership and career development “Unleash Your Career” program that provided relevant curriculum and strategies on honing leadership skills Faculty Success: Leadership Development, Academic Impressions Participated in a series of trainings on topics such as strategic planning, conflict management, budget management, faculty mentoring and research development Modern Language Association Academic Program Services Leadership Institute Participated in workshops for chairs and directors on assessment plans, curriculum review, personnel issues, supporting grad programs, recruiting and evaluating faculty Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program, Faculty and Staff Development, Pitt Received certificate after attending workshops on stereotypes, disability/accessibility, (sexual) harassment, gender diversity, and significance of DEI to workplace success Brooks, Page 3 2021 2021 2020 2019 National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), Mentoring Academy, Pitt Received mentoring credential after trainings built on NRMN’s curriculum, including communication styles, expectations, fostering independence, & mentoring philosophy Excellence in Diversity Faculty Recruiting: Running Unbiased Faculty Searches Participated in training by Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Pitt on faculty & postdoc hiring, implicit bias, and committee search & screening processes National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, Faculty Success Program Provided coaching and professional development on strategic planning, research development, work-life balance, etc. for early-career faculty at multiple universities National Women’s Studies Association Women of Color Leadership Project Competitively selected to cohort and attended training on leadership preparation to increase the participation, impact, and power of women of color administrators GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS & HONORS 2023 2023 2023 2023 2022 2022 2022 2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2019-2020 2019 2019 2019 2019 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 & 2018 2016 2015 & 2016 2014 2014 2009-2014 2013 2013 2012 2012 Pardee RAND Faculty Leaders Fellowship - Public Policy Analysis Global Studies Center Faculty Research Grant, U. of Pittsburgh Center for Latin American Studies Faculty Grant, U. of Pittsburgh Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Faculty Grant, U. of Pittsburgh Digital Humanities Fellow, National Endowment for the Humanities, U. of Kansas Mellon Just Futures Grant, Democratizing Racial Justice Project Participant, UTSA Most Valuable Professor, NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Program, Pittsburgh World History Center Mini Grant, U. of Pittsburgh Richard D. and Mary Jane Edwards Endowed Publication Fund Grant National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend, U. of Pittsburgh Nominee Junior Faculty Research Leave, Fall Semester, U. of Pittsburgh Summer Term Research Stipend for Untenured Faculty, U. of Pittsburgh Ford Foundation Fellowship, Nat’l. Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine NWSA Women of Color Leadership Project, Selected Participant for Annual Cohort Woodrow Wilson Career Enhancement Fellowship, Alternate Virginia Humanities Residential Fellowship, Finalist Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Collecting Knowledge Pittsburgh Participant Global Studies Center Faculty Research Grant, U. of Pittsburgh Speaking in the Disciplines Seminar Fellowship, U. of Pittsburgh Writing in the Disciplines Seminar Fellowship, U. of Pittsburgh Dean’s Discretionary Funds for Research, U. of Pittsburgh Hewlett International Grant, University Center for International Studies, Pitt Building Future Faculty Program Scholar, North Carolina State University Enhanced Student-Faculty Interaction Grant, University of San Diego “How Class Works” Conference Scholarship, SUNY at Stony Brook Working-Class Studies Association Young Scholars & Activists Initiative Mini-Grant McKnight Doctoral Fellowship, Florida Education Fund South Atlantic Modern Language Association George Mills Harper Fund Travel Grant Doctoral Support Award, University of Florida Florida Education Fund Travel Support Grant Graduate Student Council Travel Grant, University of Florida Brooks, Page 4 2011-2014 2011 2009-2010 2005 2003-2004 2002-2003 2002 2002 2001-2003 2001-2002 2000-2003 2000-2003 2000-2001 2000-2001 2001 2001 2000 Diversity Enhancement Scholarship, University of Florida Service Leadership Award - U of Florida Black Graduate Student Organization AC-SBE Alliance First-Year PhD Student Supplemental Scholarship, UF University of Wisconsin-Madison PEOPLE Program Project Assistantship University of Wisconsin-Madison Afro-American Studies Project Assistantship Honors in the Major Program, Florida State University Golden Key “Circle of Gold” Award Lambda Iota Tau Literary Honor Society William and Haskell McMannis Scholarship W.E.B. Du Bois Academic Award Florida Bright Futures Scholarship National Campaign for African American Achievement Scholarship Miami-Dade Urban Bankers Association Scholarship Milton Littman Memorial Scholarship Golden Key International Honor Society National Society of Collegiate Scholars Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society RESEARCH & TEACHING INTERESTS ∙ 20th & 21st Century African-American, Multi-Ethnic, Caribbean & African Literatures ∙ African Diaspora Studies ∙ Black Feminist Theory ∙ Cultural Studies ∙ Black Women’s Studies ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ Higher Education Management Education Policy Social Justice and Inequalities Working-Class Studies Postcolonial Studies Digital Humanities PUBLICATIONS Books Class Interruptions: Inequality and Division in African Diasporic Women’s Fiction. University of North Carolina Press, 2022. * 2022 Honorable Mention, Barbara T. Christian Literary Award, Caribbean Studies Association Death Proximity: Grief and Emotional Wellness Stories in Black Communities. Second Singleauthored Manuscript, In-Progress. Special Issue of Journal Black Women’s Literature: Violence & the COVID-19 Moment. Lead Co-Editor. A special issue of MELUS (Oxford University Press), vol. 46, no. 4, Winter 2021. * 2022 Nominated for the Council of Editors of Learned Journals Best Special Issue Award Brooks, Page 5 Journal Articles “Visionary Praxis: Paule Marshall’s, Ntozake Shange’s, and Toni Morrison’s Foresight concerning Sick Violence and Violent Sickness.” MELUS, vol. 46, no. 4, Winter 2021, pp. 1-13. “R.I.P. Shirts or Shirts of the Movement: Reading the Death Paraphernalia of Black Lives.” M4BL and the Critical Matter of Black Lives, special issue of Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 4, 2018, pp. 807-830. * Interviewed and quoted by The Washington Post about this article and topic, Aug 2019 “Black, Female, and Teaching Social Justice: Transformative Pedagogy for Challenging Times.” Black Women and Social Justice Education: Legacies and Lessons, edited by Stephanie Y. Evans, Dre Domingue, and Tania Mitchell. SUNY Press, 2019, pp. 183-199. (Book chapter) “The Haves and the Have-Nots: Globalization and Human Rights in McCaulay’s Dog-Heart.” Journal of West Indian Literature, vol. 26, no. 1, 2018, pp. 70-91. “A Dangerous Single Story: Dispelling Stereotypes through African Literature.” Journal of Pan African Studies, vol. 12, no. 1, 2018, pp. 21-41. “Looking to Foremothers for Strength: A Brief Biography of the Colored Woman’s League.” Women’s Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, vol. 47, no. 6, 2018, pp. 609-616. “Manifestations of Ogun Symbolism in Paule Marshall’s Praisesong for the Widow.” Journal of Africana Religions, vol. 2, no. 2, 2014, pp. 161-183. “Uptown and Downtown: A Conversation on Class Stratification with Diana McCaulay.” Jamaica Journal, vol. 35, no. 1-2, 2014, pp. 94-99. (Interview) “New Dance Steps to a Jamaican Beat: A Conversation with Olive Senior.” Caribbean Women: Riding the Waves of Resistance, special issue of ProudFlesh: New Afrikan Journal of Culture, Politics & Consciousness, edited by Opal Palmer Adisa, no. 8, 2013, pp. 61-68. (Interview) Works in Progress “The Old and the New: Tracing Evolving 21st Century Portrayals of the African Diaspora.” Invited book chapter for Cambridge University Press, African American Literature in Transition, edited by Maria Bellamy. Brooks, Page 6 “New Explorations: African American Women Writing Biofiction in the Twenty-First Century.” Journal article in preparation for submission. “Childproof Material: Injustice in the Lives of Black Children in Toni Cade Bambara’s Short Stories.” Journal article in preparation for submission. “Narrative Explorations of African American and Caribbean Strife.” Journal article in preparation for submission. “Nature versus Nurture: Class Factors in Parenting Styles and Childhood Socialization.” Journal article in preparation for submission. Digital Humanities Publications “Guiding Students to Write for Social Change.” Ethnic Studies Educators’ Academy Teaching Guide Group, Democratizing Racial Justice: Ethnic Studies Educator’s Academy, 2022, pp. 13-16, https://rrpress.utsa.edu/items/bf9e7ee7-221d-4763-84f4-780ab6865b24 “Critical Commentary on Olive Senior’s ‘Ogun: God of Iron’” with Hyacinth M. Simpson. Gardening in the Tropics Ryerson University (Canada) Digital Humanities Project and the Digital Library of the Caribbean, April 2017, www.dloc.com/AA00061860/00001. “Teaching Folk Culture: Images of the Nine Night Traditional Ritual in Zee Edgell’s Beka Lamb and Michelle Cliff’s Abeng.” Digital Library of the Caribbean, October 2010, http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00103097/00001. “Teaching Merle Hodge’s Crick Crack, Monkey: A Lesson Plan.” Digital Library of the Caribbean, October 2010, http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00103096. Book Reviews Review of Black Passports: Travel Memoirs as a Tool for Youth Empowerment by Stephanie Y. Evans. College Language Association Journal, vol. 61, no. 1-2, 2017, pp. 124-127. Review of Liberating Language: Sites of Rhetorical Education in Nineteenth-Century Black America by Shirley Wilson Logan. JAC: A Journal of Composition Theory, vol. 31, no. 1-2, 2011, pp. 390-394. Public Scholarship “Co-Editing Across Institutions.” Inside Higher Ed, 12 Dec. 2023. https://www.insidehighered.com/ opinion/career-advice/2023/12/12/scholars-different-institutions-should-co-edit-journalsopinion Brooks, Page 7 “2022 can be a watershed for Black politics in Western Pa.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 23 Oct. 2022. https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/insight/2022/10/23/ed-gainey-summer-lee-blackpolitics-robin-brooks/stories/202210230067 “The Gift of Kwanzaa” with Ervin Dyer. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 26 Dec. 2021. https://www.postgazette.com/opinion/insight/2021/12/26/The-gift-of-Kwanzaa/stories/202112260011 “New Fiction, Old Reality: It’s Time We Pay Attention to the Pandemic Struggles of Black Women.” Ms. Magazine, 3 Dec. 2021. https://msmagazine.com/2021/12/03/our-kind-ofpeople-black-women-covid-jobs-congress-build-back-better/ “Helping Postdoctoral Scholars Navigate Precarious Times.” POSTDOCket. Vol 18, Issue 3. March/April 2020. https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/page/POSTDOCket_1803 “Alternative Facts and Faulty Citations: Urging Students to Use the Library.” Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, 14 Aug. 2017. http://diverseeducation.com/article/100250/ “Lessons from a Class Straddler: Upward Mobility in Literature.” Classism Exposed [Boston, MA], 18 July 2013. (Invited Publication) http://www.classism.org/lessons-class-straddlerupward-mobility-literature “‘Wishing for Heaven’: Cross-Class Relationships and Contemporary Culture.” Classism Exposed [Boston, MA], 1 Nov. 2012. (Invited Publication) http://www.classism.org/wishingheaven-crossclass-relationships-contemporary-culture “Christmas and Class Status.” Editorial. Gainesville Sun [Gainesville, FL], 10 Dec. 2011. “Become Heartened, Not Hardened.” Editorial. Gainesville Sun [Gainesville, FL], 12 Jan. 2010. “African American Families: Can Obama’s Presidency Put a Dent in the Divorce Rate?” Editorial. Afro American Newspaper [Washington, D.C.], 2 June 2009. INVITED LECTURES & CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS Invited Lectures/Panels and Roundtables (Selected) 2023 “Level Up: Producing Impactful Scholarship.” Queens College, CUNY. Invited Lecture. (May). 2022 “Imagining Futures.” Georgia Humanities Symposium. Savannah, GA. Invited Panelist. (October). 2022 “A Conversation with the Author: Class Interruptions by Robin Brooks.” Working-Class Studies Association (WCSA) Conference. Roundtable. (June). Brooks, Page 8 2022 “Colorism.” American Physician Scientists Association: 21-Month Racial Equity Habit Building Discussion Series. School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, PA. Invited Speaker. (June). 2022 “Personalizing your Professional Development Journey For Promotion and Tenure.” Race@Work Summer Faculty Retreat. Pittsburgh, PA. Invited Speaker. (May). 2022 Presidential Inauguration of Dr. Kathy W. Humphrey, Carlow University - Book Lecture on Class Interruptions: Inequality and Division in African Diasporic Women’s Fiction. Pittsburgh, PA. Invited Lecture. (March). 2022 “Off the Shelf: Author Talk with Robin Brooks.” UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries Annual Event. Virtual Format. Invited Speaker. (February). 2022 “Roundtable on Class Interruptions: Status, Black Women, and Literature.” National Council for Black Studies Conference. Virtual Format. (February). 2022 “Robin Brooks presents ‘Class Interruptions’ in Conversation with Robert J. Patterson.” University of Pittsburgh Library System. Pittsburgh, PA. (February). 2022 “In Conversation: Literacy - The Exhibition Sharif Bey: Excavations.” Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA. Invited Panelist. (January). 2020 “Scripting Trauma: Life Writing and Everyday People’s Lives.” The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) Conference. Montgomery, AL. Virtual Format. Invited Panelist. (September). 2018 “Working-Class Populations: Appearances and Absences in News and Documentary Media.” American Studies Association Conference. Atlanta, GA. Invited Panelist. (November). 2018 “Life-writing Justice: Imagining the Insurgent Possibilities for Black Feminist Praxis.” National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Conference. Atlanta, GA. Invited Panelist. (November). 2018 “Privilege Systems: Using Our Privilege to Benefit Others.” Honors College Brackenridge Fellows Talk. Pittsburgh, PA. Invited Lecture. (January). 2017 “R.I.P. Shirts or Shirts of the Movement: Reading the Death Paraphernalia of Black Lives.” University of Hawai’i. Honolulu, Hawai’i. Invited Workshop Presenter. (August). 2016 “What’s Class Got to Do with It?: Inequality and Division in Contemporary Literature.” University of San Diego. San Diego, CA. Invited Lecture. (April). 2016 “Beyond the 1%: Class Relations in the African Diaspora.” North Carolina State University. Department of English. Raleigh, NC. Invited Lecture. (April). Brooks, Page 9 2015 “After the PhD: Pursuing Postdoctoral Fellowship Positions.” Scholarly Research and Writing Doctoral Seminar. University of South Florida. Tampa, FL. Invited Lecture. (March). 2014 “Class in the African Diaspora: Dog-Heart and ‘The Lesson.’” William Paterson University. Department of English. Paterson, NJ. Invited Lecture. (March). 2013 “Beyond the ‘Class’ Room: The Entanglements of Class and Education in Caribbean Societies.” University of the West Indies, Mona. Department of Literatures in English Staff/Post Graduate Seminar Series. Kingston, Jamaica. Invited Lecture. (April). 2013 “Examinations of Olive Senior’s Gardening in the Tropics.” Campion College. Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. Invited Lecture. (February). 2012 “Graduate Prep Workshop - How to Gain Admission and Prepare for Graduate School.” University of Florida. Office of Academic Support. Gainesville, FL. Invited Panelist. (April). 2011 “Campus Visitation Program - Doctoral Student Experiences.” University of Florida. Graduate School. Gainesville, FL. Invited Panelist. (September). International/National/Regional Presentations 2023 “A New Generation Leads: Evolving Expressions of Black Identities in Contemporary Women’s Work.” Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD) Conference. Accra, Ghana. (August). 2023 “Class, Death, and Trauma.” Working-Class Studies Association (WCSA) Conference. Chicago, Illinois. (June). 2023 “Introducing a Special Issue: COVID, Violence and Black Women’s Literature.” The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) Conference. Indianapolis, IN. (April). 2022 “Killing (Social Class) Rage: Makes Me Want to Holler.” National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Conference. Minneapolis, MN. (November). 2022 “Interrupt the Problematic Status Quo.” Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) Conference. Kingston, Jamaica. Virtual Format. (June). 2022 “Author’s Book Talk Event - Black History Month Virtual Festival.” Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Virtual Format. (February). 2021 “Pandemic Partnerships: The Changing Nature of Collaborative Work.” South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) Conference. Atlanta, GA. Co-Presenter. Virtual Format. (November). Brooks, Page 10 2020 Money, Power & No Respect: Sexual Violence Vulnerability in Contemporary Literature.” National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Conference. Minneapolis, MN. (November). Conference Cancelled. 2020 “Depictions of Education in 21st Century Caribbean Literature.” Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) Conference. Georgetown, Guyana. (June). Conference Cancelled. 2019 “Like Mary J: Searching for Real Love in Toni Morrison’s Work and Uncovering #MeToo.” Tenth Biennial Conference of the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD). Williamsburg, VA. (November). 2018 “Engaging the Digital in the Classroom: Beta Tests, Trial Runs and Guinea Pigs.” The Caribbean Digital V Conference. St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. (December). 2018 “Genuine or Opportunistic Relationships in Oonya Kempadoo’s Fiction.” Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) Conference. Havana, Cuba. (June). 2018 “Baldwin Meets Duvernay: Documenting Forms of Imprisonment.” Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) Conference. Pittsburgh, PA. (April). 2017 “Rivals?: Contesting African American and Caribbean Strife via Fiction.” Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) Conference. Nassau, Bahamas. (June). 2017 “A Social Justice Approach: Teaching Africana Literature in a Smartphone Era.” National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) Conference. Houston, TX. (March). 2016 “True Life Stories: (Un) Performing Destructive Family Legacies.” The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) Conference. Charleston, SC. (March). 2015 “Portrayals of Working-Class Life in Toni Morrison’s Literary Works.” Fighting Inequality Joint Conference of the Labor and Working-Class History Association and the WorkingClass Studies Association. Georgetown University. Washington, D.C. (May). 2015 “Tavis Smiley, Iyanla Vanzant: Slave Narrative Traditions and Contemporary Memoirs.” College Language Association (CLA) Conference. Southern Methodist University. Dallas, TX. (April). 2014 “Globalization and Changing Class Positions in Contemporary Literature.” South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) Conference. Atlanta, GA. (November). 2014 “Nature versus Nurture: Class Factors in Parenting Styles and Childhood Socialization.” How Class Works Conference. Working Class Studies Association (WCSA). Stony Brook, NY. (June). Brooks, Page 11 2013 “The Wrong and Right Sides of the Tracks: Mapping Intraracial Class Dynamics in African American Literature.” South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) Conference. Atlanta, GA. (November). 2012 “Class and Literary Culture: Examining Working-Class Portrayals in Caribbean Literature.” How Class Works Conference. Working Class Studies Association (WCSA). Stony Brook, NY. (June). 2012 “Marxist Insights in Caribbean Literary Works.” University of Florida Marxist Reading Group Conference. Gainesville, FL. (March). 2012 “Class Ideology in Merle Hodge’s Crick Crack, Monkey.” Florida Education Fund Mid-Year Research and Writing Conference. Tampa, FL. (February). 2011 “Vestiges of West African Cosmology: The Ogun Trope in Paule Marshall’s Praisesong for the Widow.” The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) Conference. Florida Atlantic University. Boca Raton, FL. (April). 2011 “African American Intellectual Discourse: Examining Texts on the Outskirts of the Canon.” University of Florida Graduate Student Council Interdisciplinary Conference. Gainesville, FL. (February). 2010 “Paule Marshall: African Traditions in Her Literary Work.” University of Florida Graduate Student Council Interdisciplinary Conference. Gainesville, FL. (February). Conference Panels Organized or Chaired 2023 “Leading with Culture: The Political & the Imaginary in the African Diaspora.” Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD) Conference. Organizer and Panel Chair. Accra, Ghana. (August). 2023 “Be(com)ing a University Administrator.” College Language Association (CLA) Conference. Organizer and Panel Chair. Atlanta, GA. (April). 2023 “COVID, Violence and Black Women’s Literature: A Special MELUS Issue Panel.” The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) Conference. Co-Organizer and Panel Chair. Indianapolis, IN. (April). 2022 “Pedagogies of Resistance & Transformation.” National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Conference. Panel Chair. Minneapolis, MN. (November). 2021 “Examining the Future of Racial Discourse and Ideologies in Literature.” College Language Association (CLA) Conference. Panel Chair. Memphis, TN. Virtual Format. (April). 2019 “Power and Powerless in Major Literary Works.” South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) Conference. Panel Chair. Atlanta, GA. (November). Brooks, Page 12 2017 “Interpreting Letters from the Caribbean.” Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) Conference. Panel Chair. Nassau, Bahamas. (June). 2017 “Pedagogy and Social Justice Practices.” National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) Conference. Panel Chair. Houston, TX. (March). 2015 “From Local to Global: Narratives of Inequality and Power.” Symposium by the University of South Florida Provost’s Postdoctoral Initiative in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Coorganizer and Panel Chair. Tampa, FL. (March). 2014 “Sustainability and Working-Class Studies around the Globe.” Special Session. South Atlantic Language Association (SAMLA) Conference. Organizer and Panel Chair. Atlanta, GA. (November). 2013 “Contemporary American Women Writers: Confronting Changing Times.” Women’s Studies Panel. South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) Conference. Organizer and Panel Chair. Atlanta, GA. (November). 2013 “Las Voces Latinoamericanas y Caribeñas: The Past, the Present, and Cultural Subjectivity in Contemporary Literature.” Humanities Panel. Florida Education Fund MidYear Research and Writing Conference. Organizer and Panel Chair. Tampa, FL. (February). Other Presentations & Panel Participation 2022 Workshop Presenter. “Digital Humanities and Publishing Platforms.” Black Book Interactive Project Digital Humanities Mini-Conference. University of Kansas. Lawrence, KS. Virtual Format. (October). 2022 Moderator. “Race, Identity, and Privilege from the U.S. to the Congo” - Virtual Book Talk with Dr. Brenda Berrian. Pittsburgh, PA. (February). 2019 Panel Discussant. “On the Cutting Edge: Conducting Research That Serves the Global Community.” Humanities Panel. Florida Education Fund 35th Annual McKnight Fellows Meeting. Tampa, FL. (October). 2019 Speaker. “Black, Female, and Teaching Social Justice: Transformative Pedagogy for Challenging Times.” Virtual Conference for Black Women and Social Justice Education: Legacies and Lessons. Clark Atlanta University - Host. (March). 2017 Teach-in Presenter. “Social Justice Movements: #BlackLivesMatter, #EnvironmentalJustice, #FightFor15, and Beyond.” Chatham University’s Pittsburgh Gender Scholars Symposium – “Gender Equity in Pittsburgh: Making Intersectional Change Happen.” Pittsburgh, PA. (November). Brooks, Page 13 2015 Panel Discussant. “Literature and Interior Design - Humanities Panel.” Florida Education Fund Mid-Year Research and Writing Conference. Tampa, FL. (February). 2014 Panel Discussant. “Critical Perspectives on Literature and Race - Humanities Panel.” Florida Education Fund Mid-Year Research and Writing Conference. Tampa, FL. (February). 2013 Guest Speaker. “Importance of Education.” Dunoon Technical High School. Literature Course. Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. (February). 2011 Facilitator. English Graduate Organization “State-of-the-Field” American Literature Lunch Series. University of Florida. Gainesville, FL. (April). 2010 Presenter. “Writing with Power: The Personal Essay for College Admission.” Springhill Church College Preparatory Workshop. Gainesville, FL. (April). 2010 Facilitator. English Graduate Organization “State-of-the-Field” Postcolonial Studies Lunch Series. University of Florida. Gainesville, FL. (April). 2010 Facilitator. Image Next: Visions Past and Future Conference. “Image Text and the City.” University of Florida. Gainesville, FL. (March). 2010 Facilitator. English Graduate Organization Publishing Workshop. University of Florida. Gainesville, FL. (March). 2008 Facilitator. Department of English and Modern Languages Workshop Series. Bowie State University. Bowie, MD. (October). INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE 2017 Havana, Cuba Conducted research at Casa de las Americas, The Jose Martí National Library of Cuba, and the University of Havana on relations between African Americans and Afro-Cubans - emphasis on diasporic & sociocultural links and civil & political rights 2016 Trelawny, Jamaica, University of San Diego - International Faculty Development Program in Jamaica Selected to be a part of a cohort of professors and administrators to visit Duncans in Trelawny, Jamaica to research how to further incorporate immersion and community engagement opportunities in the university’s service-learning study abroad programs 2012-2013 Kingston, Jamaica, University of the West Indies, Mona, Department of Literatures in English Specially admitted during doctoral studies to conduct research: interview writers, participate in university and community-based cultural events (participant observation), and volunteer with local schools and the Sistren Theatre Collective Brooks, Page 14 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & EXPERIENCE 2023 2022 2019 2018-2019 2017-2018 2017-2018 2016-2019 2015 2015 2011 2010 2005-2006 2004 Inclusive Leadership and/or Leading Through Change, Academic Impressions Participated in a series of trainings on topics such as leadership philosophy, effective communication, intersecting identities, and cultural & emotional intelligence National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity Participated in the Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program, a 12-week program for tenured Faculty Success Program alumni focused on future career trajectory development Pittsburgh Gender Scholars Consortium Participated in writing retreats hosted at Chatham University using strategies that increase productivity with a network of scholars in Southwest Pennsylvania Institutional Mentoring Program Across a CommuniTy of Color (IMPACT) Nominated by dean at Pitt to this program for faculty of color focused on networking, mentoring & community building that uses evidence-based mentor training Inkwell Academic Writing Retreats - Composed Residential & Still I Write Participated in evidence-based training on academic writing and research strategies for scholars Institutions Developing Excellence in Academic Leadership-National (IDEAL-N) Led by Case Western & funded by NSF ADVANCE grant. Participated in research writing group as a part of initiative supporting career progression of women faculty Peer Mentoring for Faculty Success at Pitt Participated in an initiative of the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences Diversity Committee on mentoring underrepresented faculty of color Harvard University, Graduate School of Education “Including Ourselves in the Change Equation: Personal Learning for Organizational Performance.” 12-week online prof development program on mindset transformation College Reach Out Program, Instructor, University of South Florida Developed course & syllabus on Multi-Ethnic Literature of the U.S. for collegebound high school students (grades 9-12) & prepared them for SAT and ACT exams Upward Bound Program, Instructor, University of Florida Developed course & syllabus on African American and Caribbean literature for college-bound 12th grade students & prepared them for admission to college Florida Board of Education Graduate Fellows Peer Advisor, University of Florida Advised incoming graduate fellowship recipients for the Board of Education Summer Program on course selections, field-appropriate university contacts, etc. Shepard IB Magnet Middle School, Humanities Teacher Prepared and taught a range of lessons in social studies to 6th grade students on topics ranging from Ancient History to Modern Europe & prepared students for state exams College Access Program, Instructor, UW-Madison Developed syllabus and overall course structure on American Multi-Ethnic Literature for college-bound high school students (grades 9-11) Brooks, Page 15 TEACHING EXPERIENCE University of Pittsburgh, Department of Africana Studies, 8/16 - present • Introduction to Africana Studies - AFRCNA 0031 (Fall 2017/2018/2021, Spring 2019) • Africana Studies Proseminar II, Grad - AFRCNA 2850 (Spring 2024) • Africana Urban Woman - AFRCNA 0242 (Fall 2017, Spring 2022, Spring 2023) • World Literature in English - AFRCNA 1306 (Summer 2017) • Introduction to African Literature - AFRCNA 0522 (Spring 2017, Fall 2018) • Man/Woman Literature - AFRCNA 0454 (Spring 2017/2018/2019/2021/2022) • Contemporary Caribbean Literature - AFRCNA 1349 (Fall 2016/2021, Spring 2018, Spring 2021- Graduate Component Added) University of San Diego, Department of English, Postdoctoral Fellow, 8/15-7/16 • African American Literature (Fall 2015 and Spring 2016) • American Multi-Ethnic Literature (Spring 2016) University of South Florida, Department of English, Postdoctoral Scholar, 8/14-5/15 • African American Literature (Fall 2014) - “Survey of African American Literature” • African American Literature (Spring 2015) - “Life Writing: Journeys of Life in African American Literature” University of Florida, Department of English, Teaching Assistant/Associate, 2010-2014 • Survey of American Literature: “American Multi-Ethnic Literary Explorations” (Summer 2010, Fall 2010, Fall 2011 & 2013, Spring 2014) • Studies in Twentieth-Century American Literature & Culture: “The Rich, Poor & InBetween: Class Portrayals in Twentieth Century American Literature” (Summer 2012) • Issues in American Literature and Culture: “Social Class in Black Women’s Literary Works” (Spring 2011) • Survey of World Literature (Spring 2012) Bowie State University, Department of English and Modern Languages, Lecturer and Writing Assistant, 8/08-5/09 • English Usage and Mechanics • Composition and Literature I Writing Assistant: Responsibilities included assisting students enhance their writing skills through one-on-one consultations, delivering writing center orientations for classes, providing workshops on writing and grammar skills, and facilitating newsletter production Anne Arundel Community College, English and Communications Department, Adjunct Instructor, 8/08-7/09 • Composition and Introduction to Literature I; Composition and Introduction to Literature II Lincoln University (PA), English and Mass Communications Department, Adjunct Instructor, 8/07-12/07 • Basic Writing Skills I North Carolina Central University, English and Mass Communications Department, Lecturer, 8/06-5/07 • Arts & Humanities I; Arts & Humanities II U of Wisconsin-Madison, Dept of Afro American Studies, Teaching Assistant, 8/04-12/04 • Masterpieces of African American Literature Brooks, Page 16 EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES 2019 - pres. 2015 2010-2012 2010-2011 2008-2009 Manuscript Reviewer – Clemson University Press; Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism; Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy; Journal of Black Studies; MELUS; The Black Scholar; Feminist Review; Papers in Arts and Humanities (PArtsHum) Editorial Writer, University of South Florida, Faculty Voices, Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence. “Publish or Perish: Support for Being a Productive Scholar.” Editorial Committee Member, African Studies Quarterly Editor - Newsletter, University of Florida, Black Graduate Student Organization Selected Articles Written: • “Engaging the African American Studies Program: An Interview with Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans.” Ashé: BGSO Newsletter 1.1 (2010): 1, 2. • “Conversations with Your Committee Director: Scholarly Advice from Dr. Faye Harrison.” Ashé: BGSO Newsletter 1.2 (2010): 1, 5. • “History-Making Surrounds Us: An Interview with Dr. Sally Williams.” Ashé: BGSO Newsletter 1.3 (2011): 1, 5. • “Navigating Grad School Challenges: An Interview with Dr. Duane Dede.” Ashé: BGSO Newsletter 1.4 (2011): 1, 2. Editorial Assistant - Newsletter, Bowie State University, Smith Vidal Literacy and Language Center Articles Written: • “Providing Students with Access to Success.” Staccato 1.2 (2009): 1. • “Bowie’s Legacy: Don S. S. Goodloe.” Staccato 1.2 (2009): 4. SERVICE ACTIVITIES University of Pittsburgh 2023 - pres. 2023 2023 - pres. 2021 2016 - pres. 2017 - 2022 2017 2017 2017 2017 - 2018 2018 Chair, Graduate Admissions Committee, Department of Africana Studies Chair, Ad Hoc Review Committee for Tenure and Promotion, Dietrich School Evaluator, Office of Undergraduate Research, Summer Undergrad Research Awards Member, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Member, Equipoise - Black Faculty & Staff, Young Professionals Committee Member, Phi Beta Kappa Executive Committee, Xi Chapter of Pennsylvania Faculty Assistant, Global Experiences Office - Study Abroad Faculty Judge, Black Action Society - Annual History Celebration Supervised Teaching Observation of Course for PhD student, Department of Sociology, Faculty Development Seminar requirement - Pedagogical Skills Curriculum Development, Revise syllabi with general education requirements Faculty Judge, 18th Annual Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Grad Expo Professional & Other Institutional Service 2023 - pres. 2023 - pres. College Language Association - Executive Committee, English Area Representative Working-Class Studies Association, Outreach Committee Brooks, Page 17 2022 - pres. 2021 - pres. 2019 - 2022 2018 - pres. 2018 - pres. 2017 - 2018 2015 2014 2014-2015 2011-2012 2010-2012 2010-2012 2011 2011 2010-2011 2010 2008-2009 2006-2007 2005-2006 2004 South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) - Nominating Committee MLA Forums: Genre Studies - Life Writing; Languages, Literatures, and Cultures African American; Transdisciplinary Connections - Digital Humanities; Transdisciplinary Connections - Marxism, Literature, and Society National Postdoctoral Association - Diversity Task Force; Outreach and Advocacy Committees National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) - Mentor for Graduate Students Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) - Job Clinic/Professional Development Mentor Comprehensive Exams External Subject Area Advisor for PhD Candidate, Point Park University, Department of Community Engagement University of San Diego - National Society of Black Engineers - Provide resume reviews and conduct mock interviews for undergraduates in engineering and technology-focused fields South Atlantic Modern Language Association - Harper Fund Committee, nominated to the position, Reviewer - Grant Proposals University of South Florida, Black Faculty and Staff Association, Member University of Florida, Graduate Student Council, Grants Committee Member, Reviewer - Grant Proposals U. of Florida, Black Graduate Student Organization, Community Service Chair • Established Partnership with UF Black Student Union Mentorship Program • Established Partnership with St. Francis House Homeless Shelter, Gainesville University of Florida, English Graduate Organization, Workshop/Conference Committees Member U. of Florida, Graduate Student Grants and Fellowships Conference Assistant University of Florida, Institute of Black Culture Director Search, Living in Gainesville Panelist U. of Florida, Upward Bound Program Mentor, U.S. Department of Education U. of Florida, English Graduate Organization, Professional Development Coordinator Bowie State University, Access to Success Committee Member Duties: Develop plans with members of the English Composition committee to help boost retention and graduation rates for incoming freshmen students, construct common syllabus for Composition courses, and create common final exams for Composition courses North Carolina Central University, English and Mass Communications Department, Arts & Humanities Committee Member Duties: Review textbooks and compose pre-tests to facilitate examination of student learning outcomes Durham Public Schools, Professional Staff Development Liaison, Durham, NC Duties: Deliver information concerning teacher professional development between teachers at Shepard and the professional development department head of Durham Public Schools University of Wisconsin-Madison, Composition/Rhetoric Research Group Member. Duties: Examine the role of African Americans and other minorities in the history of U.S. Rhetoric and Literacy with a professor and graduate students in the subject area Brooks, Page 18 MEDIA APPEARANCES & INTERVIEWS 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 “The Power of RIP T-Shirts.” Dead and Buried Series, episode 8, PBS Voices, 28 Dec. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWBLoUJktMU&t=140s “‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ performed at Super Bowl for first time.” CBS Pittsburgh, 13 Feb. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/black-nationalanthem-performed-lift-every-voice-and-sing-super-bowl/ “University of Pittsburgh to Offer a Ph.D. Program in Africana Studies.” The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 3. Mar. 2023, https://www.jbhe.com/2023/03 /university-of-pittsburgh-to-offer-a-ph-d-program-in-africana-studies/ “‘We are connected’: Pitt plans new Africana Studies Ph.D. program.” The Pitt News, 15 Mar. 2023, https://pittnews.com/article/179588/top-stories/we-are-connected-pittplans-new-africana-studies-ph-d-program/ “Africana Studies leaders excited to welcome first Ph.D.-level cohort this fall.” University Times, 3 Feb. 2023, https://www.utimes.pitt.edu/news/africana-studiesleaders “‘History is repeating itself.’ Are DeSantis policies stoking racial divisions?” The Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2022, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politicsgovernment/state-politics/article263119958.html “Ep. 38 : Robin Brooks, Class Interruptions: Inequality and Division in African Diasporic Women’s Fiction,” Conversations in Atlantic Theory, 27 July 2022, https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hZBNnorhm8ai15Z8iMshP?si=7e560cafa96547f1 “Professors express concern for marginalized communities, protected rights in wake of Roe reversal.” PublicSource, 25 June 2022, https://www.publicsource.org/roewade-dobbs-supreme-court-pittsburgh-university-chatham/ “4 Pittsburgh academics on gender, identity and social change amid potential Roe reversal.” PublicSource, 13 May 2022, https://www.publicsource.org/pitt-chathampittsburgh-professors-abortion-roe-wade-supreme-court/ “BAR Book Forum: Robin Brooks’ ‘Class Interruptions.’” Black Agenda Report, 15 Mar. 2022, https://blackagendareport.com/bar-book-forum-robin-brooks-classinterruptions “Pittsburgh-based author's book explores ‘Class Interruptions’ in novels by Black women.” Radio Interview and Article with Bill O’ Driscoll. WESA 90.5 – NPR, 14 Mar. 2022, https://www.wesa.fm/arts-sports-culture/2022-03-14/pittsburgh-basedauthors-book-explores-class-interruptions-in-novels-by-black-women “Black Women’s Cultural Production: An Interview with Robin Brooks.” Black Perspectives - African American Intellectual History Society, 2 Mar. 2022, https://www.aaihs.org/black-womens-cultural-production-an-interview-with-robinbrooks/ “Class Interruptions: The Wrong Side of The Tracks.” UNC Press Blog, 1 Mar. 2022, https://uncpressblog.com/2022/03/01/class-interruptions-the-wrong-side-of-thetracks/ “Black History Month 2022 Reading List: The Black International Experience.” UNC Press Blog, 28 Feb. 2022, https://uncpressblog.com/2022/02/28/black-history-month2022-reading-list-the-black-international-experience/ “ICYMI: A conversation on class, gender and fiction.” 25 Feb. 2022, https://www.pitt.edu/pittwire/features-articles/Robin-Brooks-class-gender-and-fiction Brooks, Page 19 2022 2022 2022 2022 2020 2020 2020 2020 2019 2019 2018 “February 2022 Reads for the Rest of Us by Karla J. Strand.” Ms. Magazine, 18 Feb. 2022, https://msmagazine.com/2022/02/18/feminist-books-women-black-latina-aapilgbtq-writers-february-2022-reads-for-the-rest-of-us/ “Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars.” The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 10. Feb. 2022, https://www.jbhe.com/2022/02/recent-books-ofinterest-to-african-american-scholars-314/ “Pitt professor talks new book, class disparities and Black women’s literature,” The Pitt News, 3 Feb. 2022, https://pittnews.com/article/170953/news/pitt-professor-talksnew-book-class-disparities-and-black-womens-literature/ “Book Notes, January 2022.” Working-Class Studies Association, https://wcstudiesassociation.wordpress.com/2022/01/25/book-notes-january-2022/ “The Thought Life of Social Justice: An Interview with Robin Brooks,” Being Human Podcast, 4 Sept. 2020, https://soundcloud.com/being-human-pgh/the-thoughtlife-of-social-justice “‘Being Human’ Podcast Launches New Season,” 4 Sept. 2020, https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu/announcements/being-human-podcast-launches-newseason “Student Project, Pitt Programs Confront Colorism,” 22 Oct. 2020, https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu/news/student-project-pitt-programs-confront-colorism “Pandemic and Protests Through Lens of Black Literature,” 10 July 2020, https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu/news/pandemic-and-protests-through-lens-blackliterature “Where Gun Violence Abounds, Honoring Loved Ones with ‘Rest in Peace’ Shirts,” The Washington Post, Aug. 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/ 08/10/mass-shootings-everyday-grief-honoring-loved-ones-with-rest-peace-shirts/ “Let’s Talk about Privilege,” Dietrich School Flash Class, 1 July 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgKIJKbltB0 “International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) Stories, Dr. Robin Brooks – Florida, United States,” Sept. 2018, https://www.ibo.org/testimonials/diplomaprogramme-dp/robin-brooks/ PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Modern Language Association (MLA) South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) College Language Association (CLA) National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) American Studies Association (ASA) Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) Working-Class Studies Association (WCSA) The Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD) The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) American Educational Research Association (AERA)