Alex Barker

Alex Barker has an extensive career in archaeology and museum leadership that began at the Dallas Museum of Natural History, where Barker held positions as Curator of Archaeology, Chief Curator, and Interim Director from 1994 to 2000. From April 2006 to November 2020, Barker served as Director of both the Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Currently, Barker is the Director of the Arkansas Archeological Survey, overseeing the preservation and study of the state’s archaeological heritage since January 2022. Additional roles include Fellow at the Society of Antiquaries of London, Academic Trustee and Governing Board Member for the Archaeological Institute of America, and participation in various leadership capacities such as Past President of the American Anthropological Association and a member of the Executive Committee of Delegates for the American Council of Learned Societies. Barker has also served on the Board of Directors for the School for Advanced Research since August 2022 and is an alumnus of the Getty Leadership Institute.