Lisa Barker is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the UW–Madison School of Education, Director of the School’s Improvisation Initiatives, and Affiliate Faculty in the Departments of Curriculum & Instruction and Theatre & Drama. She earned her doctorate in curriculum and teacher education from Stanford University and her MA in Educational Theatre from New York University. Lisa teaches THEATRE 341 Fundamentals of Improvisation, is curious about how the principles and practices of improv theatre can be applied in professional learning, and is energized by helping people develop interpersonal agility — active listening, flexibility, collaboration — in service of advancing justice and joy.
Before moving to Wisconsin, Lisa was a teacher educator at Stanford, SUNY New Paltz, and Towson University. She also served as Director of Education for Adventure Stage Chicago and Manager of CUNY Creative Arts Team’s Center for Educational Drama, where she helped launch the first M.A. in Applied Theatre in the United States. Lisa began her career as an English, reading, and drama teacher at James Lick High School in San Jose, CA.