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Sarah Barrett, Ph.D.

Senior Program Officer
A photo of Sarah Barrett

Dr. Sarah Barrett is a senior program officer for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. She focuses on connecting research with practice and ensuring it is relevant and actionable. Her work includes identifying opportunities to support our translational research infrastructure, including generating research content, grantmaking, and partnerships.

Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Dr. Barrett was the director of training and education with the Clery Center in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, a position she assumed after establishing multiple risk management initiatives designed to improve campus safety and ensure compliance with various laws, including the federal statute known as the Clery Act. Following a placement with the Education Office of the Embassy of Spain as a North American Language and Culture Assistant, Dr. Barrett returned to the states to serve as Assistant Dean and Director of Student Life at Kansas State University, advocating for and supporting students facing academic and personal challenges, including food insecurity.

Informed by her own experience as a low-income first-generation college graduate, Dr. Barrett founded the client-centered food pantry known as the Cats’ Cupboard. While in Manhattan, she chaired the Social Services Advisory Board and served on the board of Ascension Via Christi Hospital.

Dr. Barrett earned her Bachelor of Science degree in social science with an emphasis in psychology and family disorders, her Master of Science degree in marriage and family therapy, and her Ph.D. in applied family science, all from Kansas State University. Dr. Barrett has been published in peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to Campus Safety Magazine. She also holds certificates in leadership dynamics and human services administration and is a licensed marriage and family therapist.