She earned her Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley in 1998 and completed postdoctoral training at SUNY Stony Brook and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (MD). Her current research interests are in the areas of inorganic materials chemistry and chemistry education. She is a member of the Leadership Council of IONiC (Interactive Online Network of Inorganic Chemists), a community of inorganic chemists from primarily undergraduate institutions who seek to enhance the classroom and lab experience of both students and faculty members. Barbara is a member of the PKAL F21 Class of 2003.