GRASS 2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Jan Barham, Ph.D., serves as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Georgia (UGA). In this role, Dr. Barham ensures a seamless transition for incoming students while fostering a supportive community for their families. She directly oversees three departments: Student Transitions, New Student Orientation, and the newly established Parent and Family Engagement. Dr. Barham also leads university-wide efforts to promote and implement UGA’s Policy on Freedom of Expression and Assembly and manages the Let All the Big Dawgs Eat Food Scholarship Initiative. Barham previously served as Associate Dean of Students and Director of Assessment and Staff Development for the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Georgia. Her leadership has extended to a wide array of units, including the Tate Student Center, Engagement, Leadership, and Service; International Student Life; the African American Cultural Center; University Housing, and Academic Scheduling, among others. Additionally, she has co-advised the Student Government Association and contributed to the Behavioral Assessment Response Council (BARC). Beyond her administrative roles, Dr. Barham is a respected educator and scholar. She has served on the executive board and as historian for Region 3 of NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. A graduate faculty member at UGA, she has published extensively, taught courses at the doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate levels, and mentored 22 doctoral candidates to completion. Dr. Barham holds a Ph.D. in Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia, a Master’s in Human Development and Psychological Counseling from Appalachian State University, and a Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining UGA, she gained valuable experience in residence life at Appalachian State University, the University of Tennessee, and Wake Forest University.