She earned her B.A. in Speech Communication from Indiana University, Bloomington. Her M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication Studies were granted by Northwestern University. Current hip hop projects include essays on Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, and Tupac Shakur as well as a book manuscript titled "The Gangsta’s God: Deciphering the Divine’s Role in Rap" and an edited volume of hip hop criticism titled "The Hip Hop Jam: Messages and Music." She is also conducting interviews for a qualitative study on black women and love. In addition to teaching and writing, Dr. Utley has shared her interests in African American culture, hip hop, and urban history through numerous lectures and conference presentations.