She earned her doctorate in leadership studies from Bowling Green State University, and her M.Ed. and B.S. from the College of William and Mary. Dr. Baker has served as an investigator on a variety of state and federal grants to support educator preparation and focuses her research efforts on building capacity among teachers, administrators, and other educators to facilitate the responsible inclusion of exceptional learners across a variety of settings. She currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) and as chair of the Product Review Committee for CASE. Prior to making the move to higher education, she was the coordinator of a regional day treatment center where students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD) received specialized services.