Dr. Rebekah Fitzsimmons

Biography

Rebekah Fitzsimmons is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Professional Communication at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. She teaches graduate-level core communication courses such as Strategic Presentation Skills, Writing Public Policy, Professional Communication, and Writing Information Systems Management. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes the innovative use of digital technologies in the classroom, assisting experts in translating complex technical knowledge to non-experts through storytelling and multimodal communication. Fitzsimmons has co-edited the collection 'Blockbusters: Themes and Trends in Contemporary YA' and has published articles in prominent journals including 'Children’s Literature,' 'Lion and Unicorn,' 'Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy,' and 'Journal of Fantastic Arts.' She is actively involved in the Children's Literature Association as a member of the Membership Committee. Prior to her appointment at Heinz, she was the Assistant Director of the Writing Communication Program and a Marion L. Brittain Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Fitzsimmons holds a PhD in English from the University of Florida, focusing on children's and young adult literature and culture. Her research interests span young adult fiction, digital humanities, speculative fiction, the process of canon formation, and bestseller lists.

Research Interests