Barbara Decker, MSW

Areas of Research and/or Practice

Barbara is most interested in exploring how students who have been marginalized in the educational system, especially those with disabilities or who are first generation college bound, can feel accepted and find ways to share their gifts in schools and universities. In addition, Barbara is very excited to teach the Environmental Justice and Social Work elective.

Biography

Barbara is thrilled to teach in the Department of Social Work at MSU Denver and believes that her career has been building toward helping her be prepared to teach the amazing students at this university. She has spent her career working with students at the university and high school level who have been marginalized in the education system. Barbara worked at the University of Denver’s Learning Effectiveness Program and taught at the Women’s College at DU. Later, she directed a comprehensive support program for students with learning disabilities and ADHD at a Denver high school. Barbara was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver in the Graduate School of Social Work. Most recently, Barbara worked with a local mentoring agency and headed efforts to provide case management and mentoring for underserved students after they completed high school. Barbara earned both her BA in Sociology and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Denver. With two children in college, she is hoping to one day have hobbies. She is thrilled to have her daughter attending MSU Denver and now has a great reason to get to campus theater productions to see her daughter perform. An ideal day for her would involve a long walk with her husband and sometimes naughty greyhounds, a dinner at home with her family, and curling up on the couch with a good book.