Barrett retires, celebrates 26 years

By Karen Plant
J-School Web Reporter

photo by Neel Deshpande

J-School prof Sharon Barrett enjoys her retirement party with husband Dick Barrett, retired from the Economics Department, and friend Mary Ellen Campbell, Business School prof.

Faculty, friends and students celebrated with Professor Sharon Barrett at her Dec. 7 retirement party, marking her 26 years at the J-School.

While taking a few moments to address those gathered in her honor, Barrett—bilingual in English and Spanish—noted that the Spanish word for retirement is "jubilacion."

“I guess I am a bit jubilant about retiring,” she said.

Barrett will travel to Costa Rica with her husband, Dick, in what she said wasn’t planned as a retirement vacation, but people are referring to it as such.

Barrett will continue to serve on J-school boards and will keep her office on the fourth floor. So faculty will still enjoy seeing her, “but the students will miss her in the classroom” Dean Peggy Kuhr said.
 
Not only does Barrett hold prestigious awards and notable work experience, she is known as an adventurous spirit, great writer and great teacher — able to connect with students, Kuhr said.

In addition to teaching, Barrett has reported, edited and freelanced for newspapers around the country and in Mexico, including the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, El Norte and the Missoulian. Her work has been published in several journalism and consumer magazines.

For the past 30 years, Barrett has been a book critic for the Chicago Daily News and Chicago Sun-Times.

She has lectured and taught in Peru, Uruguay and Colombia. In 2002, she was awarded The University of Montana’s Distinguished Teaching Award.

Professor Carol VanValkenburg reminisced about the many years she has enjoyed working with Barrett and watching their children grow up. 

Upon presenting Barrett with a UM poster signed by faculty with congratulations on her retirement, VanValkenberg said, “I’m not sure how you managed to pull this one off.”

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