Betsy Barre is Assistant Provost and Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Wake Forest University, where she helps professors become better teachers so that students can have meaningful, life-changing learning experiences. She began her career as a professor of religion and philosophy, inviting her students to explore big questions about values, disagreement, and how people learn from one another. After teaching at Emory University, Lake Forest College, Marymount Manhattan College, and Rice University, she found her way to teaching the teachers—working nationally to support classrooms where students learn not just what to think, but how to think and how to engage thoughtfully with people who see the world differently. Through extensive writing and invited talks at universities and conferences across the country, she shares her ideas about education, democracy, and the future of learning.

As the child of educators, Betsy grew up with a deep respect for teachers and the impact they can have on students’ lives. At Loveland, her teachers built close relationships with her and helped her develop confidence and curiosity, leaving a lasting impression on how she thinks about learning and leadership. She earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Bowling Green State University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in religion from Florida State University, where her own experiences as a student confirmed her belief in the transformational power of education. Those early lessons continue to guide her work today as she brings together her love of teaching and her interest in the structures of higher education to strengthen the liberal arts and to help prepare students to participate thoughtfully and responsibly in a diverse democracy.