Before her tenure at MSCHE, Dr. Barbu served as the Associate Vice Provost of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at St. Thomas University in Florida, where she co-led the development of the university's strategic plan. Her prior roles include Director of Research and Data Analytics at Miami Dade College and Director of Academic Programs at The State University System of Florida's Board of Governors.

Dr. Barbu holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University, an M.S. in Communication and Information Studies from Rutgers University, and a B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Northern University in Romania.

In her current capacity, Dr. Barbu leads MSCHE's research initiatives, focusing on data-driven decision-making to enhance transparency and inform accreditation activities. She has been instrumental in developing dashboards and tools that provide stakeholders with access to critical data.

Dr. Barbu's extensive experience in research, data analytics, and strategic planning within higher education underscores her commitment to advancing quality assurance and institutional effectiveness in the academic sector.