Professor Barbara A. Holland is Director of Academic Initiatives in Social Inclusion for the University of Sydney in Australia. In this role she leads the University in the development of community partnerships and teaching/research strategies to enhance social inclusion in the context of Australia's oldest research university. Previously, she served three years as Pro Vice-Chancellor Engagement at University of Western Sydney where she created and implemented the University's first strategic plan for engaged learning and research activities. Central to the plan is the UWS Schools Engagement agenda which in 2009 involved nearly 11,000 school students in academic enrichment, tutoring, and mentoring activities. The engagement plan also focused on small business economic development, cultural understanding, and environmental sustainability.

Before 2007, Barbara held national leadership roles for community engagement in the United States including the directorship of the federally-funded National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (2002-09), and an appointment to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development where she managed large grant programs for university-community partnerships (2000-2002). Earlier in her career, she held senior academic and administrative roles at Portland State University and Northern Kentucky University where she contributed to major changes in curriculum and organisational culture. She continues to hold academic affiliations with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Portland State University.

Barbara is recognised internationally for her expertise on organisational change in higher education, community engagement, and partnerships and has published and presented on these topics extensively. In Australia, she serves as Vice-President of the Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance (AUCEA), and has advised eleven universities and three state departments of education on issues of organisational change, engaged learning and the scholarship of engagement. In 2008, AUCEA named her one of the first two Honorary Fellows appointed by the Alliance.

Among her many publications, she is co-author of a widely-adopted book on the assessment of service-learning and community engagement, and serves as editor of three international journals. In 2006 she received the Research Achievement Award from the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Association's Board. She is a lead faculty member of the annual National Engagement Academy for Leadership sponsored by the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (formerly NASULGC), American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities.

Her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in journalism were earned at the University of Missouri-Columbia and her Ph.D. in higher education policy was awarded by the University of Maryland-College Park. Her permanent home is in Portland, Oregon.