Dr. Jeanette “Danielle” Barber obtained her PhD in Agricultural and Extension Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA, with an emphasis in leadership and social change. Her research explored the intersection of basic psychological needs and motivation with the goal of understanding what motivating factors help to improve feelings of inclusivity for underrepresented minorities in professional agricultural careers. Barber began her professional career as a Continuous Improvement Engineer with Kraft Foods Incorporated, where she also earned a Six Sigma Black Belt certification. Prior to Virginia Tech, she completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science degrees in Agricultural Education. Barber currently works as an independent consultant, providing her expertise to help organizations reach their goals more efficiently. In addition to her consultant work, she is a published co-author within the Journal of Leadership Education and volunteers her time with the Looking Forward with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) program, a tutoring and mentor initiative that exposes underrepresented minority students in grades 6-8 to STEM careers. Barber was recently named plant champion by the Seed Your Future organization for her commitment to diversity and inclusion in agriculture.
