Dr. Beth McCune Whitaker is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri – Columbia.  Dr. Whitaker earned her undergraduate degree from Central Methodist University, her Masters and Specialist degrees from the University of Missouri – Columbia, and her Ph.D. from Indiana State University.

Beth is a former classroom teacher and principal in Missouri.  During her tenure as an administrator, her school was awarded the Missouri Gold Star and National Blue Ribbon for excellence in education.  This past year Beth received the Mizzou College of Education Golden Apple for Teaching Excellence.  Dr. Whitaker has been published in the areas of school climate, principal leadership, and staff motivation and morale.  She teaches K-12 leadership courses and supervises administrator interns at Mizzou.

Prior to returning to Missouri last year, Dr. Whitaker was a professor in the Bayh College of Education and founding director of The Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. While at ISU, Beth received the Caleb Mills Distinguished Teaching Award, Holmstedt Distinguished Professorship, Kinser Faculty Award, and the President’s Award from the Indiana State Principal’s Association.

Her husband, Todd, is also a faculty member at Mizzou and they have collaborated on numerous books and presentations.   Most importantly, they are the very proud parents of Katherine (high school math teacher in Kansas City), Madeline (middle school math teacher in Springfield), and Harrison (senior in college at New York University).

Areas of Expertise

• Staff motivation
• School Climate
• College Teaching