Rankin-Brown's focus in higher education is to empower students to think and communicate effectively by enhancing their reading, writing, and speaking skills. She previously worked at Pacific Union College, California State University—Chico, Colorado Mesa University, Chattanooga State Community College, Southern Utah University, and the University of the Pacific.

Her research has focused on improving writing pedagogy, representations of the marginalized in literature, and sociolinguistic and cultural behaviors reflected (primarily) in nonwestern literature.