“Barre is the most amazing teacher I’ve had. She cares about each of her students personally and acted as a mentor for us. She’s like a ninja when it comes to arguments- disciplined, knowing, and able to completely undermine an argument, exploit its flaws, and take it down. Barre made me question everything that I ever believed in without forcing me to believe in this or that .. She is a fantastic mentor, inspiring teacher, and an ethics goddess.”
— Rice Student
“She pushed us and because of her, we looked forward to Mondays and Wednesdays at 2:30. Her workload is incredibly challenging and time demanding, but I have never gained so much from a class. When I get an A on a paper or exam from her (which is rare haha) I know that I deserved it. I can honestly say I make a huge effort to never miss a reading or class. From her courses, I have not only gained a vast amount of knowledge on the concepts of religion and politics, or religion and sexuality, I have gained a sense of identity within them. I have become closer and more informed about my own faith, my sexuality and my interactions with the world around me. Basically, she builds better students, better people.”
— Marymount Manhattan Student
“Dr. Barre … is one of those kinds of professors. The ones who you really get to know and become a mentor and guide far beyond the classroom. She requires you to sign up for office appointments at the beginning of the semester and after each assignment to give you personalized feedback and to get to know you, and both sections of our class also set up movie nights and weekend hangouts with her to continue our discussions outside of class because there was so much to talk about we didn’t have time to finish our discussions! We all really bonded with her. I could gush about Dr. Barre all day ... She’s one of the best, if not THE best, teachers I’ll ever have.”
— Rice Student
“Not only is Professor Barre personable and approachable, but her intelligence and passion for all that she teaches are clear with every lesson. She is CONSTANTLY challenging her students to think harder and more in-depth about every statement they make and, while channeling unspeakable respect from everyone in the classroom, never comes off as condescending or disinterested. She is really just passionate, learned, dedicated, and fully invested in developing strong personal bonds with every student she encounters. ”
— Marymount Manhattan Student
“Dr. Barre is a really awesome professor. I’d say she’s one of the few professors at Rice it’s worth taking a class with just to have the experience of her teaching. She creates an atmosphere for discussion every class and isn’t afraid to change things up when they’re not working. Over the course of the semester she also made an issue to tie in topics in the Rice community ... and provide us relevant reading material. I can’t say enough good things about her.”
— Rice Student
“Dr. Barre’s method of teaching allows students to absorb information needed for tests; however, she also manages to relate class discussions to the students’ real lives. Rather than giving students answers to questions, she lets them come up with answers themselves at their own pace. She is very great at realizing students’ strengths and helping them improve on it. She is very accepting of new ideas, probably the most accepting professor I know. ”
— Marymount Manhattan Student
“She became more than a professor... [She was] a maternal figure, a guiding figure and to some extent, a friend. Dr Barre made an effort to engage each student at a personal level, which was deeply appreciated by all.”
— Rice Student
“Professor Barre is amazing ... Her teaching style forces you to grow, because you’re forced to be prepared to defend your argument from every angle. Not only does it force you to be more prepared, but open-minded as well. I have to look at every angle and every approach of an argument and/or statement. I then realize certain aspects and other perspectives that I haven’t even considered before. ”
— Marymount Manhattan Student
“If you can take a class with Dr. Barre at any point at Rice, definitely do. She’s awesome. We had great discussions in classes, and I appreciated how she always pushed us to follow through with our thoughts. She made us question ourselves and each other, which is something I will continue to work on in the future.”
— Rice Student
“She has a talent and a gift that few people have. She has forced so many people in her classes to examine their beliefs and why they believe them. I have never seen anyone do that on such a large scale ... I have talked to so many students who have told me that they changed their minds or had never even thought about what they believed until they found themselves in her class.”
— Marymount Manhattan Student
“Dr. Barre certainly challenged us. While her class was more difficult than most ... and the material was much more dense, she somehow managed to present the information to a room almost full of engineers in an interesting and engaging manner. We were encouraged to think and write in extremely developed ways that extended beyond our normal capabilities, and our arguments were constantly called into question. I am extremely grateful to have taken Dr. Barre’s course, and hope to be able to again in the future!”
— Rice Student
“Not only did Dr. Barre inspire me to write a thesis in the first place, she drew from me a quality of writing, critical analysis, and clarity that I didn’t know I possessed. Often when I was in a slump, confused, or tired of writing, I would go to Dr. Barre’s office (sometimes for hours) and leave feeling refreshed and genuinely excited to write. She had a way of setting my mind’s wheels in motion.”
— Lake Forest Student
“One of the best professors I have had at Rice. She is smart, engaging, funny and stimulating. There was never a boring day in her class and she works hard so that we all think harder and deeper about the readings.”
— Rice Student
“If you take her class just be prepared to answer the question WHY?”