Dr. Brooke Shannon is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy Analysis and Evaluation. Her research focuses on American urban politics, local institutions, policy agendas, and political development.
“I began engaging first as an activist, then later as an academic,” she said.
Shannon started thinking about public policy as a researcher while working with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center in Memphis, Tennessee, to establish public oversight of the police department with a civilian law enforcement review board in 2014.
“I wrote my master's thesis on review boards as an example of local institutional reform, and whether they work once established.” Since then, Shannon pivoted to study local policy directly through local agendas to explore how local governments make policy.
Shannon received her PhD in 2022 from the University of Texas at Austin. Her dissertation, “The City Agenda: Local Governance and National Influence in the Local Agenda, 1900-2020” used the city council of Austin, Texas, to detail how local governments make policies that are influenced by local problems and national politics.
For her first semester as a professor at GSPIA, Shannon is excited to teach PIA 3121 Policy Theory.
“I love how public-focused and concerned with real-world outcomes the work by students and faculty at GSPIA is! I am so inspired by community engagement work and look forward to contributing to that culture here,” she said.
Fun fact: Shannon loves getting lost in new neighborhoods and discovering local markets and grocery stores to find new things to cook. She also loves to spend time with her dog and two cats.
“I have an open-door policy, and love to hear about students' research ideas,” she said. “Students are welcome to drop by any time!”
Every Friday for the next month, we’ll be spotlighting each new faculty member joining us for the Fall 2022 semester. Stay tuned to meet next week’s new professor!