She earned her Ph.D. in Communication Studies from Northwestern University, her M.A. in Rhetoric and Communication Studies from the University of Virginia, and her B.A. in History from the University of Virginia. Burnette, who came to Texas State University in 1991, teaches graduate and undergraduate classes in political communication, American public address, rhetorical criticism, and persuasion. Her students have gone on to careers in politics, law, strategic communication, and teaching. Outside of the classroom, she works with students by helping them present and publish their research on communication and by judging public speaking competitions. She co-founded the Delta Beta chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Honor Society. In 2013, she received the Texas State University Alumni Teaching Award of Honor.