Peter B. Barr, the 23rd president of Glenville State College, took office on July 1, 2006. Since assuming the presidency, Barr has sought to establish Glenville State as "the best small public college in the country." To accomplish this ambitious goal, Barr has sought new partnerships in the public and private sectors, launched a $12 million dollar capital campaign, increased faculty and staff development opportunities, and inaugurated new academic programs to prepare college graduates for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Barr understands that the college mission requires Glenville State to assume a regional corporate citizenship. In 2006, Glenville State established the Hidden Promise Consortium with county school districts to improve the number of high school graduates and the number of students going to college. Concurrently, Barr has sought other opportunities to building a prosperous and self-sustaining region.

Barr recognizes that these significant initiatives to bring economic, educational, and cultural development to a challenged region of the nation exceed the limitations of public funding. Accordingly, Glenville State has launched a $12 million dollar capital campaign to generate private funds and expand the public and private partnerships that can bring success to aspirations for central West Virginia. The capital campaign, aptly named Transforming Lives NOW!, adopts the bold goal of transforming lives across the region.

Barr came to Glenville State College from Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, where he was the Provost and Senior Vice President serving as the school’s Chief Academic Officer. Barr’s participation in civic affairs was recognized with the 2005 Myrtle Beach Volunteer of the Year award.

Barr is a native of Huntington, West Virginia and a Marshall University graduate. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Marshall and a Doctor of Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University. His wife, Betsy, was the former Dean of Natural and Behavioral Sciences at Coastal Carolina. They have three children, Carrie, Jason, and Christine.