Professor Koob is an instructor in oral communication and holds a B.A. degree in speech/drama and religion from Wartburg, an M.A. degree in theatre from the University of Denver, and an M.A.R. degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, PA. She also has been awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa from Gwynedd Mercy College and Uppsala College. She studied acting at the HB Studios with Herbert Berghof in New York City, where she was also a critic for off-Broadway shows with Show Business, a theatre trade journal.

Her teaching experience includes a variety of work in public and private secondary schools. She was the McKinley Scholar in Residence at Malone, Walsh, and Mount Union Colleges in Canton, Ohio. She has worked extensively with community theatre in both the United States and in Zambia, where she won the best director award at the National Theatre Festival.

She spent more than 27 years in the diplomatic service of the United States, working primarily in the area of cultural and educational exchange. In addition, she served as speech writer for several ambassadors. She is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and AAUW and serves on the Iowa State Board of the United Nations Association.