Kristen Barnes

In July 2019, Kristen Barnes, MA, joined the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement.  She focuses on programs and initiatives to recruit and retain faculty from historically underrepresented groups. She co-leads the office’s finance and grants management and supports key data analysis projects.

Prior to this role, Kristen worked in faculty development at Columbia, at both Teachers College and later in Columbia’s Office of the Executive Vice President for Arts and Sciences. Most recently, Kristen served as the Assistant Director of Faculty Development & Diversity in the Office of the EVP for Arts & Sciences. Kristen has a longstanding interest in increasing marginalized groups’ access to higher education. She has experience in fundraising and community activism through her work at the Children’s Defense Fund of New York, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and George Washington University. 

Kristen received her bachelor's degree in English and Comparative Literature and Political Science from George Washington University, and her master's degree in Politics and Education from Teachers College. She is currently enrolled in the Social Organizational Psychology graduate program at Teachers College.