Wright State University appoints Vice President – Multicultural Affairs and Community Engagement

In her position at Wright State, Kimberly Barrett will have a hands-on role in continuing to promote and nourish diversity, multiculturalism and community engagement.

Kimberly Barrett, Ph.D., Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Montevallo in Alabama, has been named Vice President – 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, Barrett will have a hands-on role in continuing to promote and nourish diversity, multiculturalism and community engagement. For three straight years, Wright State has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its support of volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

“Dr. Barrett has the background and experience to be a visionary leader who can take the university’s strong history of diversity to new heights,” said Wright State President David R. Hopkins. “She will help create initiatives that celebrate our differences and honor our diversity as a source of strength and excellence.”

Barrett has been VP for Student Affairs at Montevallo since 2008. She has provided services in support of student learning and personal development and supervised housing and residence life, disability support, multicultural affairs and other student life offices.

Prior to that, Barrett was 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.

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.

Barrett has made numerous presentations at regional and national 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.

Barrett obtained her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Southern Illinois University, her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Murray State University, and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pfeiffer College in Misenheimer, N.C.
Barrett will assume her duties at Wright State on Aug. 23.