Biography

Dr. Kimberly Barrett is Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Development and Diversity at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.  Prior to joining the university, she was Vice Provost (Student Affairs) at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada.  She has also held a variety of administrative positions including Dean of Students, Director of Multicultural Affairs, and founding director of a University Women’s Center.  In addition to working in Canada and Wisconsin she has also worked in higher education in Missouri, New York state, and Kentucky.  Dr. Barrett has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level and coordinated a graduate program to prepare professionals to work in Student Affairs.  She earned a B.A. in Psychology from Pfeiffer College, an M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Murray State University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.  Her professional interests include adult development, the relationship between moral reasoning and modern prejudice, prejudice reduction, and general issues related to diversity and social justice.  Prior to working in higher education she worked in community mental health.

Dr. Barrett is also actively involved in community service related to diversity and human rights.  She has served on the regional board of directors for several organizations including Habitat for Humanity and Rape Victim’s Services.  She also was a member a member of the Eau Claire Human Rights Commission and has participated in the Options Fund activities, and organization related to providing funds to low income women for abortions, and activities of Fair Wisconsin, a political organization working to defeat the proposed constitutional ban on marriage and civil unions. She is a member of the Board for the organization Wisconsin Women in Higher Education Leadership (WWHEL).   

Currently, she serves as the chief student affairs officer for the UW-Eau Claire campus supervising a wide range of student support services and providing leadership for campus diversity efforts. In addition to my campus activities, she’s had the opportunity to serve on several committees and advisory boards for initiatives that deal with programs across the University of Wisconsin System. For example, she served on the System Advisory Committees on the Liberal Arts/ Liberal Education and Admissions as well as the Inclusivity Initiative Advisory Board which addresses issues related to ensuring that UW campuses are welcoming to faculty, staff and students of all sexual orientations and gender identities. She is also working with the WISCAMP and MentorNet  programs which are designed to increase the number of  individuals from underrepresented groups graduating in science, technology, math and engineering   

A few of the activities she is currently engaged in specifically related to advocacy for women and gender equity on campus include participating in the following at UW-Eau Claire; the Commission on the Status of Women, Multicultural Women’s Association, Women’s Studies Advisory Group, and the creation of the Center for Awareness of Sexual Assault  (CASA) and the Women’s and Gender Equity Center (WAGE). She has presented at local, national and international conferences on the topic of women’s issues and gender equity.