Current Position and Past Experience
Chelsea Barnett currently serves as Vice President at Western Governors University (WGU). In this role, she provides strategic leadership focused on advancing learner success, educational innovation, and technology-enabled learning experiences. She brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education, with expertise in developing educational programs, designing innovative learning pathways, and improving student outcomes.

Previously, Barnett served as Vice President of Product and Technology at WGU Academy, leading initiatives related to learner experience, technology, research, and operations. Her work focuses on creating accessible, inclusive, and learner-centered educational experiences that support student confidence, persistence, and long-term success.

Education, Honors, and Achievements
Barnett holds an M.S. in Data Analytics and an M.Ed. in Instructional Design from Western Governors University. She earned a B.S. in Psychology, with an emphasis in Developmental Psychology, from Brigham Young University.

As a first-generation college graduate, Barnett is passionate about expanding educational access and opportunity. Her professional interests include the psychology of learning and motivation, artificial intelligence and the future of learner support, human potential, organizational design, leadership development, and behavioral science.