Dr. Barri L. Bumgarner
Barri has served as Chapter Secretary (9 years ago) and is currently chair of our Fellowship & Finances Opportunities Committee. Additionally, Barri has promoted DKG with students in her undergrad classes at Westminster College by engaging them in the efforts of Beta Chapter to support early educators; providing several of them with books for their classes; and taking photos of them to share with Beta Chapter members. She works to “complete” the circle of educational support that chapter members offer budding professionals.
Barri is the primary face behind the Westminster College’s Digital Blue iPad Initiative. In 2020 when Westminster pivoted to a virtual format, Barri led the effort by conducting emergency training sessions for Westminster faculty. She is a published writer with four novels to her credit, and she has been featured on both NBC and Oxygen Networks for her extensive research into a local (Columbia, MO) murder.
Outside of DKG: Barri became a resource throughout the state of Missouri for many K-12 educators who reached out to her for help with their online platforms during the 2020 quarantine. She traveled to several cities providing technical support to professionals who found themselves offering classes online for the first time. Inside DKG: Barri took the lead in setting up Venmo for Beta Chapter so our sisters could make donations or submit their dues.
In addition to having been secretary and currently serving as a committee chair, Barri has been a program presenter for the chapter and volunteered to give programs to other chapters.
During the Pandemic, Barri organized a multi-faculty, road trip spanning 800 miles to visit each 2020 graduate of Westminster who earned a degree in Education from the College. She offers creative ideas for transforming teaching — such as Digital Blue — and she works tirelessly with the students. Bumgarner is Chair of the Education Department at Westminster and a certified Apple Learning Specialist. She teaches digital literacy to Education majors, reading/writing education courses, and teacher preparation courses that focus on the exceptional individual.
In 2020 Westminster College named Dr. Barri L. Bumgarner, Associate Professor of Education and Digital Blue Coordinator, its 2020 President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient. This award is given to one Westminster faculty member annually, after a voting process and recommendation by the Faculty Personnel Committee.
Westminster College’s Digital Blue prepares 21st-century learners for the technological demands of the professional world and will propel Blue Jays to the forefront of digital leadership. The Digital Blue experience will inspire creativity, productivity, and relevant lifelong learning, and connecting students and faculty with authentic tools will elevate the Blue Jay Nation by helping students see the power in their purpose.