Shelley S. Brown is a Master Instructor of Sociology and Certified Gerontologist at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee, where she started her employment in 2006.  She earned her M.A. and Gerontology Certificate in 2004 from Middle Tennessee State University. She currently teaches Introduction to Sociology, Sociological Theory, Aging in American Society and is the Coordinator of Internships for Sociology, Social work and Criminal Justice.

After she received her B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in social work from Tennessee Tech University in 1998, Ms. Brown worked as a mental-health case manager, overseeing and coordinating services for fragile populations such as the elderly, homeless and the severely and persistently mentally ill.  It was in this field of work, she discovered her passion for working with the elderly and went to work as the Director of Social Services for a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Nashville, TN.

She was awarded the Harold Love Award for Community Service in 2010, the QEP Award for Outstanding teaching in 2010 and was also awarded the General Education Award in 2014.  She has also served as a QEP Faculty Fellow since 2015, specializing in Service Learning in Creative Inquiry. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she is the Coordinator for Social Work and coordinates Internships in Sociology, Social Work and Criminology.

Her research is focused on ways of increasing levels of critical thinking in higher education and taking a closer look at what sort of classroom activities and High Impact Practices can positively impact critical thinking among students. She has held workshops for both students and faculty, and presented and published this research at several regional and national conferences and in academic journals.