Associate Professor Karen Brooks began as one of the founding lecturers at the University in 1996, and quickly built a profile for her work in popular culture and media studies.

During her time at the University, Karen established a national and international reputation for her work on popular culture, established a profile as a newspaper columnist and regular social commentator on television, and also published five fantasy novels.

In 2003 Karen was awarded the University medal for Outstanding University Teacher, and in 2007 she received a Carrick award for sustained public engagement in the field of communication and cultural studies, which resulted in both theoretical and practical learning outcomes for students.