Biography

Stephanie Barksdale is Director of University Partnerships and Social Innovation for Tulane’s President Emeritus Scott Cowen and an adjunct lecturer who teaches the Leadership and Senior Seminar courses in the Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Minor (SISE).

Barksdale has led efforts to bring SISE to Tulane since beginning in President Cowen’s office in 2009. Barksdale helped develop a partnership with Ashoka, making Tulane one of the first AshokaU Changemaker Campuses and numerous programs including the NewDay Speaker series, the NewDay Social Innovation Challenge, the Changemaker Institute – a student venture incubator program, and numerous other student programming. Barksdale also helped in securing resources and support for the SISE minor and the creation of the Taylor Center.

She is currently Chairman of Propeller, a Force for Social Innovation and a founding Board Member and Chair of Grow Dat Youth Farm. She and her husband, David Barksdale, are the proud parents of three boys.

Barksdale holds a Masters of Public Administration from NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Prior to coming to Tulane, Barksdale worked for The Low-Income Investment Fund, Upwardly Global, and the King Hussein Foundation International.