Kimberly Barrett

Dr. Kimberly Barrett currently serves as Vice President for Multicultural Affairs and Community Engagement at Wright State University. Barrett has more than 20 years of experience providing services to students and working with faculty, governing boards, community members and others to promote learning, student development, social justice and diversity. In her position at Wright State, Dr. Barrett takes a hands-on role in continuing to promote and nourish diversity, multiculturalism and community engagement.

Prior to joining Wright State, Dr. Barrett served as Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Montevallo (Alabama). She served as the Chief Student Affairs Officer providing services in support of student learning and personal development, which included supervising housing and residence life, disability support, multicultural affairs and other student life offices. Dr. Barrett also served as Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Development and Diversity at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; Vice Provost at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Canada; Associate Provost and Dean of Students at Southeast Missouri State University; and Director of Multicultural Affairs at SUNY Potsdam (N.Y.) College. She was also the founding director of the Women’s Center at Murray State University in Kentucky.

Dr. Barrett has been active in a variety of community organizations in a number of states whose goals relate to achieving social and economic justice. Most recently in Alabama, she lead a group that started a Mental Health Court diversion program for Shelby County Alabama; served as chair of the Board for Shelby Emergency Assistance, an organization that assists people in financial crisis; and was a community columnist for the Shelby County Reporter.

Since 1992, Barrett has served as a diversity consultant, providing sensitivity programming for schools, businesses and community groups on race relations, sexual harassment, homophobia, prejudice reduction and other diversity related areas.

Dr. Barrett has made numerous presentations at regional, national and international conferences, discussing topics such as Diversity education and the public good and Ten years of breaking glass: A Black feminist reflects on equity in higher education. She has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels and has published articles in newspapers and professional journals.

Barrett obtained her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Southern Illinois University- Carbondale, her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Murray State University, and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Pfeiffer College in Misenheimer, North Carolina.