Yavanna Brownlee

Yavanna Brownlee, PhD, serves as a Lecturer in the English Department at the University of Northern Colorado within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She contributes to undergraduate and graduate programs including the B.A. in English: Literature, Culture and Creativity; B.A. in English: Writing, Editing & Publishing; English Secondary Education; and the M.A. in English.

Her educational background comprises a PhD in Rhetoric and Composition with a focus on Indigenous Rhetorics from Ohio University (Athens, OH), an MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (Fairbanks, AK), and a BA in English from Lyon College (Batesville, AR).

Dr. Brownlee's research centers on Indigenous Rhetorics with critical intersections in Language, Environmental Sustainability, and Cultural Studies. She actively explores connections between these domains and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, LGBTQ+ issues, Feminism, and Queer Theories, emphasizing decolonial frameworks in rhetorical scholarship. Her work bridges creative writing practices with social justice advocacy.

Prior academic appointments include Ohio University (2012-2019) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (2004-2012). She is currently developing publications in process related to her interdisciplinary research agenda.