Greg A. Cooper is an assistant professor of photojournalism in the School of Communication and Journalism at Eastern Illinois University.

Cooper, a native of Ojai, Calif., graduated in May 1996 from Western Kentucky University with a double major in photojournalism and anthropology. While there, he served three internships in Jackson, Mich., Columbus, Ohio, and Ventura, Calif.

Prior to his experience with Western Kentucky, Cooper was hooked by photojournalism in 1988 while attending classes at Ventura College. In junior college, Cooper worked as a staff photographer at the Ojai Valley News in his hometown, Ojai, Calif.

After leaving Western Kentucky, he returned to Southern California as a photography intern for the Ventura County Star. Cooper was hired as a staff photographer and then worked his way up to the position of assistant picture editor.

In 2000, Cooper left the Star to become Sunday picture editor for the Columbus (OH) Dispatch.

After three years at the Dispatch, he returned to his native Ventura County, this time to pursue his Master’s Degree in Photography at Brooks Institute of Photography. He graduated in December of 2004. His 13-year tenure as faculty in the Visual Journalism program at Brooks ended when the school closed in August 2016.

While studying at Brooks, Cooper did his Master’s thesis on the future of digital photography at newspapers --“Still Photography at Newspapers: Its Uncertain Future as a Medium.”

Most recently, Cooper has been growing his skills with video and Web design. A graduate of the Platypus Workshop and Apple certified in Final Cut Pro 7, Greg Cooper continues to tell stories with various mediums, including the iPhone.

In 2010, Cooper was the education fellow at The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn.

Cooper lives in Charleston, Illinois, with his wife Cláudia and their dog Biskit.