Lisa M. Barker is the Education Director for PLACE: Professional Learning and Community Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education. She received her PhD in Curriculum and Teacher Education from Stanford University and her MA in Educational Theatre from New York University. She taught English education at Stanford, SUNY New Paltz, and Towson University; performed with the Stanford Improvisors and children’s theatre companies such as Chicago’s Barrel of Monkeys and New York’s Story Pirates; and founded Stanford’s first children’s repertory theatre company. 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 MA in Applied Theatre in the US. Lisa began her career as an English and drama teacher at James Lick High School in San Jose, CA.