Charger Blue to Maize and Blue: Barnett Begins 30th Year at University of Michigan

Written by Doug Goodnough

Jennifer Wallman Barnett, ’93, still uses the skills she honed at Hillsdale College, both in the classroom and on the court. The senior class salutatorian who majored in accounting used her expertise in finance to rise to the chief administrator of the Psychology Department at the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Barnett manages a department with more than 100 faculty and 18 staff members. Her oversight includes student services, the administrative and facilities teams, finance, and human resources.

“I wear a lot of different hats,” Barnett said of the role she has had for the past 10 years. “Finance crosses everything, from paying faculty to dealing with student support. It’s a huge budget.”

She had her pick of accounting firms before even graduating from Hillsdale, eventually choosing a public accounting position with Deloitte and Touche in the Detroit area. Barnett met her future husband on the job. He eventually took a position with the University of Michigan, and she later followed.

“A CPA life is rough,” said Barnett, who decided on a career change after the birth of their first child. “The company started to make us travel, and after the birth of my son, it just wasn’t possible.”

Entering her 30th year at U of M, Barnett said she worked her way up the career ladder and loves her current position.

“This job has probably been the most rewarding because you’re impacting the true mission of the college,” she said of her chief administrator role. “You’re impacting the students and the faculty. But it’s very demanding.”

Barnett said she first learned about Hillsdale through the Stewart family, who had several family members attend Hillsdale from the Sturgis, Michigan, area.

“I just loved it the minute I walked on campus,” she said of her campus visit. “And I could play tennis.”

Barnett made an early impact for the Chargers women’s tennis team, earning the team’s Most Improved Award. She finished in second place in third singles at the 1992 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships. Named an NAIA Academic All-American, the former co-captain said her experiences playing with standout teammates like Kathy Heimbuch Heckert Caldwell, ’91, and Silvia Siqueira, ’93, were memorable.

“Funny story: in the state championships in high school, I played Silvia in the last match, and I lost 6-0, 6-0,” Barnett said of the former GLIAC MVP and recent Chargers Athletic Hall of Famer. “My dad said, ‘At least the next time you see her, she will be on your team.’”

Barnett said being a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority was a great experience, as well as being named the Outstanding Senior Woman. She also noted that the late Dr. Febes Facey had a “fantastic” influence on her accounting career. “Hillsdale prepared me well,” she said.

Although her tennis playing days are pretty much over, she has exchanged her tennis racket for a pickleball racket.

“It’s been the most amazing thing,” said Barnett, who started playing pickleball during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I have met so many people. It’s been such a great networking opportunity and a fun way to stay active. It’s such a social sport.”

Barnett and her husband, William, have three grown children. Two are high school coaches, and a third is a senior at Michigan State University. She said she is also excited about recently becoming a grandmother.

“I’m just so grateful to Hillsdale for the scholarships,” she said of the financial aid she received during her time as a student. “It made it affordable to go to Hillsdale. It’s just amazing the national recognition Hillsdale continues to get.”

Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s senior director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.

Published in February 2025