Biography

Dr. Tracie Burke, Professor, grew up on a small farm in rural northwestern Montana near Glacier National Park. There she became an expert at milking cows, riding horses and horrifying her parents with daring acts of cowgirl pluck. At the age of seven she joined the local judo club and spent the next fifteen years competing in local, regional, and eventually national and international tournaments. Her early competitions usually resulted in “best sportsmanship” trophies (translation: she was a big loser). But later on she became more successful, joining the United States team and traveling with it to Europe and Asia. She earned her BA degree in psychology at the University of Montana, and her MS in General Psychology (concentration in industrial/organizational psychology), EdD in Educational Psychology, and MA in Sociology from the University of Memphis. Her research interests include active learning and using humor in the classroom.