Robin Brooks

Dr. Robin Brooks is an Associate Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, with a secondary appointment in the Department of English. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Florida, an MA in Afro American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BA in English from Florida State University. Her research focuses on 20th/21st-century African Diasporic literatures, Black feminist theory, and education policy. She has authored Class Interruptions: Inequality and Division in African Diasporic Women’s Fiction (UNC Press) and is completing a second book on contemporary African American autobiographies.

Brooks has held notable fellowships including the Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Mellon Just Futures Grant. She leads academic initiatives in diversity, equity, and inclusion, serving on committees such as the Dietrich School’s Faculty Grants Committee and the University Senate’s Budget Policies Committee. Her work bridges literary analysis with social justice advocacy, emphasizing class dynamics and educational equity.

• Education: PhD (University of Florida), MA (Wisconsin-Madison), BA (Florida State University)
• Leadership Roles: Director of Graduate Studies in Africana Studies, Elected Member of the Dietrich School Council
• Affiliations: Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program; African Studies Program; University Center for International Studies