MIDLAND, Mich. — The Mackinac Center for Public Policy welcomes Shawn Phillip Cooper as the new director of education policy.

Cooper, who holds a doctorate in medieval English literature and culture, brings more than a decade of university teaching experience, including at Wayne State University, Oakland Community College and Rochester Christian University. His scholarship examines the relationship between culture and governance.

“Cooper brings a valuable perspective to our education policy work, combining years of classroom experience with a deep understanding of how institutions shape society,” said Michael Van Beek, vice president for research at the Mackinac Center. “His experience as a scholar and teacher, along with his dedication to helping students succeed, will strengthen our work to improve education in Michigan.”

Before joining the Mackinac Center, Cooper served as president of the North American Branch of the International Courtly Literature Society and senior editor at The European Conservative magazine. He previously held a John and Daria Berry Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Princeton University’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions.

“Education has been at the heart of my professional life, and Michigan has always been home,” Cooper said. “I look forward to bringing my experience as a teacher and scholar to the Mackinac Center’s work and helping advance policies that better serve Michigan students and families.”

Cooper earned bachelor’s degrees in history and English and a master’s degree in English from Oakland University. He subsequently received a Thomas C. Rumble Doctoral Fellowship to study medieval English literature and culture at Wayne State University.

A fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Cooper hosts the “Critical Readings” podcast and serves on the advisory board of the scholarly journal Encomia. His published scholarship includes work on medieval and 19th-century Arthurian literature.