Christopher “Chris” Barnes is an Assistant Director of Assessment in the Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research. He supports faculty, program coordinators, and administrators across Penn State to develop and execute plans to assess student learning in undergraduate and graduate programs, certificates, and general education. Chris also helps to coordinate, administer, and analyze University-wide assessments in areas of institutional focus.

For nearly a decade, Chris has served the needs of diverse learners as both an education researcher and student affairs practitioner. His professional experiences range from managing residence halls as a Resident Director to writing evaluation reports and developing virtual dashboards as a Senior Research Specialist. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting from Western Illinois University, a master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. In his free time, Chris can be found with family or running hike/bike trails.