Lauren Backus

Lauren Backus is the Interim Assistant Dean for Personal & Professional Development & Staff Initiatives. Lauren holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, with a concentration in Higher Education Administration, from Boston University. Passionate about making higher education a more equitable, accessible environment for all, Lauren's master’s thesis was a proposal for improvements to physical accessibility in Boston University’s Third Places. Lauren previously worked full time for both BU's Center for Career Development and Educational Resource Center, supervising a student leadership program, hiring and training staff, and creating programming simultaneously for both offices. She has also taught a first year experience seminar, and collaborated on equity, diversity, and inclusion education efforts pre and post-COVID 19, and served in various mentorship roles. In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading as much as she can, watching old films, and going on nature walks around New England.