Future Tech: The Future is Now
"President Barber will provide an update on Future Tech, CEI’s first new building since 2007. This state-of-the-art facility will complement CEI’s growing trades programs—such as welding, electrical, and diesel—by expanding into high-tech fields. While these traditional trades build Idaho’s physical infrastructure, Future Tech will develop its technological backbone, creating a seamless talent pipeline that fuels economic growth and innovation across the region."
Dr. Lori Barber began her tenure as President at College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) on August 1, 2024. She held several administrative roles at CEI prior to the role of President. She started at CEI as Director of General Education and then became the inaugural Dean of General Education in 2018. Barber became Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs in June of 2019.
Her innovative strategies have been instrumental in steering the direction of institutional growth and building the framework on which CEI’s current academic and student affairs structure has been built. Under Dr. Barber’s leadership, CEI has experienced an unprecedented 244% growth in credit enrollments since 2017. As Vice President, she led her team to the successful establishment of CEI's first two Bachelors of Applied Science degrees, the only community college in Idaho to have two baccalaureate degrees.
Dr. Barber holds a Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University. Her Master’s Degree is in Interdisciplinary Studies in History and Anthropology from Idaho State University where she researched the history and anthropology of food. She has been involved in education at the K-12 and post-secondary realms for over twenty-five years.
Dr. Barber profoundly believes in the community college mission and recognizes the power of education to create hope and transform lives. She has been married for 36 years and has two grown sons. In her spare time, she teaches yoga, hikes in the Idaho wilderness, writes, and walks many miles with her two sweet dogs.