Barrett Fisher II

Dr. Barrett Fisher II is the dean of academic programs for the College of Arts and Sciences in Bethel University (St. Paul, Minnesota), where he served as professor of English and department chair, as well as faculty development coordinator, before moving into full-time administration. He oversees Bethel’s undergraduate academic departments and General Education curriculum; he collaborates with faculty in developing courses, creating and revising curricula, and setting and maintaining academic policies. In addition, he oversees several of Bethel’s outward-facing initiatives: the Johnson Center for Journalism and Communication; Living the Questions (a Lilly-funded theological institute for high school youth); and the Center for Community Engaged Learning. 

A transplant from New England to the Midwest, Fisher graduated summa cum laude from Bowdoin College; he holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in English Literature from Cornell University. His primary academic interests include the history and art of the novel, spiritual autobiography, film history and theory, and all things Shakespearean. He has published essays on Joseph Conrad, Shakespeare, and contemporary film. 

With a Bethel colleague, he currently co-hosts “Video Store,” a weekly podcast that discusses any film that interests him. Along with developing his culinary skills, he enjoys birding, bicycling, snow-shoeing, and hiking with his wife, Amy. He is addicted to crossword puzzles and even reads a book every now and then.