Barbara is Associate Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Director of the Teaching Assistant Project. In her role as a Rutgers Center for Organizational Leadership Fellow, Dr. Bender serves as PreDoctoral Leadership Development Academy (PLDA) Course Director and a member of the core faculty of the PLDA.
She has served as Associate Provost and Dean of Students and has taught a wide variety of classes in higher education including courses on college teaching and building leadership skills for Ph.D. students. She has served as a member of numerous accreditation teams for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
At Rutgers University, Dr. Bender founded the Teaching Assistant Project, a program designed to prepare Ph.D. candidates to teach, the Rutgers Academy for Teaching and Learning, as well as co-founded the Academic Leadership Program, a professional development program for academic department chairs and deans. Her current position encompasses providing leadership and coordinating academic support and student services for graduate students.