Deborah Barrett is a Professor in the Practice of Writing and Communication at Rice University, where she has taught graduate courses in creative writing, literature, communication, and leadership since joining the faculty in 1998. From April 1998 to July 2006, she served as Senior Lecturer and Director of MBA Communication at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management. She subsequently directed the Program for Communication Excellence for Rice undergraduates and joined the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies' Graduate Liberal Studies Program as faculty in 2009, teaching creative writing and literature. In recognition of her teaching excellence in the GLS Program, she was awarded the John Freeman Faculty Teaching Award in 2019. Barrett earned her Ph.D. in English from Rice University in 1983, M.A. in English from the University of Houston in 1977, and B.A. in English from the University of Houston in 1972.

Barrett's research specializations include literature, communication, and leadership. She is the author of the textbook Leadership Communication, now in its fourth edition published by McGraw-Hill in 2014. She has published scholarly articles on literature, communication, and leadership, as well as creative nonfiction essays under the name Deborah Burch-Lavis and a chapbook of poetry titled The Desert Speaks to the Dreamer (Finishing Line Press, 2019). Barrett has participated in several Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences for creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Although retired from her full-time faculty position in 2025, she continues to teach writing courses part-time in Rice's Glasscock School of Continuing Studies and coaches writing groups. Her contributions through teaching, textbook authorship, and publications have impacted students and professionals in communication and writing fields.

Professional Email: barrett@rice.edu