Boxwell Barbara is an educator, curriculum designer, and advocate for adult learners with over twenty years of experience in higher education and professional development. She holds a Master of Education in Adult Learning and Development from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Throughout her career, Barbara has worked directly with thousands of adult students returning to education after years or decades away from the classroom. She has served as a learning specialist at community colleges and universities across the Southeast, designing and teaching study skills courses, academic success workshops, and faculty training programs focused on the unique needs of non-traditional learners. Her approach is grounded in cognitive science and adult learning theory — and equally in the real-world challenges of people who are balancing education with careers, families, and financial pressures.
Barbara has written extensively on adult learning, study strategies, and educational access. Her work has appeared in *The Adult Learning Journal*, *Continuing Higher Education Review*, and various online platforms dedicated to educational equity. She is a frequent speaker at conferences on adult education, where her straightforward, practical style resonates with both educators and students.
The Adult Learner's Study Blueprint grew directly from Barbara's classroom experience. She noticed that most study skills resources were written for traditional-age college students — full-time learners with few external responsibilities. Her adult students needed something different: strategies that acknowledged their experience, respected their time constraints, and leveraged their mature cognitive abilities. This book is the resource she wishes she'd had to give them.
Barbara lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she continues to work with adult learners through online courses and consulting. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Adult and Continuing Education, proving that learning truly never stops. She can be reached through her website at boxwellbarbara.com.