Dr. Shana Garrett is an authentic and dynamic leader within the higher education industry with the savvy for business assessments and engaging talent to drive innovation and collaboration to deliver results. She advocates for education, personal and professional growth, and discovering one's authentic self through the challenges of academic pursuits.

Dr. Garrett began her career in education by driving the successes of two online graduate programs for Pepperdine University in Educational Technology, which has led to over twenty years of progressive administrator experience in both the online and ground platforms. Her leadership experience is supported by several years of faculty experience in both post-secondary education institutions as well as serving as faculty at the North Texas Council of Government-Regional Police Academy in Texas. She currently serves as the Dean for the College of Psychology and Community Services at Walden University, where she is responsible for the complete verticals of academic programs focused on Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Psychology.

Dr. Garrett's management style is authentic to her ability to deliver outcomes with start-up teams and established colleagues. She has been highly successful in the higher education field, both traditional and proprietary education, for the past 20 years as faculty, dean, and practicing scholar-practitioner. Her extensive experience in corporate businesses, ground & distance learning environments and non-profit organizations compliment her successes in start-up functions, corrective operations, and elevating established systems. She is well-versed in contemporary adult learning concepts, instructional and content design, leadership assessment, and organizational effectiveness. In addition to her higher education experience, she also brings her years of experience as a paralegal and small business owner to her strategic and tactical deliverables.

Her passion for education is not limited to the interactions with faculty and students but also her investment in the human capital that resides in the education experience. Shana is recognized as an organizational leader and mentor to new talent, those needing a change, and in elevating the talents of others. She developed a leadership approach known as Pure Heart which is the culmination of psychology concepts, real-world experiences, and a common-sense approach to working with others and leading teams. She believes we all have a journey to explore, stories to create, and the wisdom to share with each other about our experiences.

Dr. Garrett is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds the designation of a National Certified Counselor. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Saybrook University, her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, and her Bachelor of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of North Texas. Higher education continues to be one of her passions, but she also practices as a counselor, specializing in crisis intervention, trauma recovery and working with veterans.