Betty J. Barr

RAISING THE BAR: ADVISER ENGINEERS POSITIVE START TO STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC CAREERS

First impressions count. That’s especially true in a university setting, where first impressions for incoming students often set the tone for the duration of their studies.

A UH graduate, Betty J. Barr, associate professor and undergraduate adviser in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is an award-winning teacher whose impact on students begins as early as orientation.

Because of the individual attention she gives each student, “It is no surprise that lines often form outside her door, outside the classroom before her class, at the chalkboard after her lecture or around her in the hallway,” said Darren
Smith, one of her former students.

Barr’s concern for students’ welfare has been recognized with the 2007 Provost Faculty Advising Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising, which includes a plaque and a $1,000 stipend.

Richard Bonnin
Staff writer