Dr. Barbara Brittingham is President Emerita of the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which accredits more than 200 colleges and universities across the six New England states and eleven American-style institutions abroad. She previously served as both a member and Chair of the Commission. Earlier in her career, she was a Dean and Professor at the University of Rhode Island.

Dr. Brittingham’s academic work focuses on accreditation, governing boards, and fundraising. She holds a Bachelor of Science in English and History, a Master of Science in Education, and a Ph.D. in Educational Research and Evaluation, all from Iowa State University.

She currently serves on the Board of the National Student Clearinghouse, the Board of Trustees of Wheaton College (Massachusetts), and the Urban College of Boston. She is also an advisor to the Transformational Partnerships Fund and a Senior Consultant to the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS).

Internationally, Dr. Brittingham has served as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Vietnam and Morocco. She has worked in Turkey on a World Bank project and in the United Arab Emirates as a founding dean at Zayed University. She has also served on the board of Quality and Qualifications Ireland and on the Quality Board in Iceland.

In addition, she is a consultant to Sandooq Al Watan in the UAE and has worked with ministries and universities in more than twenty-five countries, supported by organizations such as the Fulbright Commission, the U.S. State Department, the World Bank, and various governments and institutions.