Brenda Cooper, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Journalism & Communication
Director, Women and Gender Studies

Specialty Areas: Media Criticism -- Gender, racial, sexual diversity in media
Contact: (435) 797-3253; (435) 797-3973 FAX
brenda.cooper@usu.edu

Academic Degrees:
-- Ph.D., Communication, Ohio University , 1991
-- M.A., Communication, University of Dayton , 1988
-- B.A., Communication, Wright State University , 1986

Courses:

JCOM 2010, Media Smarts: Making Sense of the Information Age, Spring 2009 PDF
WGS 1010 Intro to Women & Gender Studies, Spring 2009 PDF
JOM 4400/6400, Media Criticism
JCOM 3410, Film as Cultural Communication: Film & Feminism

Teaching:
My primary teaching area is media criticism with an emphasis on diversity in media, including representations of gender, race and ethnicity, and sexual minorities. Two of the JCOM courses I teach are part of the WGS program, which I have directed for several years: JCOM 4410/6410, Gender & Mass Media, and JCOM 3410, Film & Feminism. Before joining the USU faculty in 1994, I taught at Trinity College in Vermont and Kean College of New Jersey.

Since coming to USU in 1994, I have received some of the top teaching awards from students -- "Top Prof" (Mortar Board) and "Outstanding Professor" (Greek Society) -- as well as the JCOM department's award for Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Cooper with some of her students.

Some Student Comments:
"Prof Cooper you rock! Great enthusiasm, love and concern for students."

"Prof. Cooper’s excitement and knowledge on the subject was a great asset to the class. This has been my favorite class so far, and I thank her for keeping me so interested."

"Brenda was a great professor! This was an awesome class!! Thanks for everything!"

"Brenda was amazing. She made it fun and made me want to come to class."

"Your class was one of the absolute best I have ever had."

"I just want you to know how much your class has helped me analyze media and put up warning flags when I see something that I learned about."

Research:
My research is closely related to my teaching interests, and focuses on issues of media representations of diversity, as well as audience members' conflicting responses to these representations, including spectators' interpretations of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing and Callie Khouri's Thelma & Louise, textual analysis of the distortion of film translations of women's stories (i.e., Out of Africa and The House of the Spirits), strategies of resistance articulated through the challenging lens of the female gaze (Ally McBeal and Thelma & Louise), and interrogations of how film and television narratives may work to disrupt the strict boundaries and biases of heteronormativity (e.g. Boys Don't Cry). Most recently, I investigated issues of heterosexism and homophobia in press coverage of Brokeback Mountain. My brother’s (Woody Cooper, 1940-1995) experiences with bigotry and discrimination after coming out as gay in the early 1960s inspired my interest in exploring how both news and entertainment media depict sexual minorities (see press publication links below). A research grant I was awarded in 2007 is supporting my current project analyzing press coverage of the Dixie Chicks controversy after their comments criticizing President Bush on the eve of the Iraq invasion. Overall, my research is guided by a strong feminist stance and commitment to promoting diverse perspectives.

For Recent Research Publications, see Vita:
Cooper Curriculum Vita

Some Press Publications:
"'Brokeback' heartbreak hits close to home." Logan Herald Journal. Available here
"My Turn Family Heroes: Lessons from Woody." Newsweek. Available here

Passions:
Dogs, running, hiking and yoga! I’ve been a runner for over 30 years so when I’m not teaching or doing research, I’ll be outside running or hiking with my dog Lulu, a lab mix my husband and I rescued a few years ago (see photo gallery). During my sabbatical last year I discovered yoga, and thanks to two incredible instructors (http://www.innerfreedmonyoga.com), I now balance my running with regular yoga classes. And I learned how to do a handstand! Very cool!

Brenda Cooper Photo Gallery