Rodger Broome

Dr. Rodger E. Broomé is a faculty member in psychology with a specialization in humanistic, existential, and phenomenological psychology, with particular emphasis on research methodology and the psychology of emergency services. He brings over 15 years of university-level teaching experience and more than 30 years of professional experience in applied public safety fields, including law enforcement, fire service, and emergency medical services.
At Walden University, Dr. Broomé serves as a faculty member in the doctoral programs, where he supports graduate students in developing research competence, designing their dissertations, and demonstrating methodological rigor. His role emphasizes guiding students through qualitative research processes, particularly phenomenological inquiry, while fostering integration between theory, lived experience, and professional application.
Dr. Broomé’s primary research interests center on descriptive phenomenological psychology, especially as applied to high-stakes human experiences such as police use of force, trauma, leadership in emergency services, and meaning-making in critical incidents. His work bridges human science, psychology, and real-world operational contexts, advancing scholarship in both psychology and public safety.
Professionally, Dr. Broomé is a retired Battalion Chief and Fire Marshal, with prior service as a police officer, firefighter/EMT, arson investigator, and training officer. He has held academic appointments as an Associate Professor and Faculty Chair at Utah Valley University and has taught at multiple graduate institutions, including Grand Canyon University, Saybrook University, and Sofia University. He remains active as a consultant in sport and performance psychology and has contributed extensively to professional training, leadership development, and mental health support within emergency services.
Dr. Broomé’s scholarly contributions include numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and book reviews in leading outlets such as the Journal of Humanistic Psychology and the Journal of Phenomenological Psychology. His doctoral dissertation on the phenomenological psychology of police deadly force has been widely cited, and he has served as chair or committee member on dozens of doctoral dissertations. His work reflects a sustained commitment to advancing qualitative research, humanistic psychology, and integrating lived experience into scientific inquiry.
Through his combined academic, clinical, and operational expertise, Dr. Broomé brings a distinctive perspective to graduate education, emphasizing rigor, relevance, and the development of scholar-practitioners.