Devan Barker earned a master's degree in organizational behavior from Brigham Young University and a doctorate degree in paedaggogik (foundations of education) from Juluis Maximilians University of Würzburg in Bavaria.
Dr. Barker worked as a faculty member at Ursuline College for five years, including serving as a director for PASE. In 2007 he joined the Department of Instructional Development at BYU-Idaho as a founding director. He was an instrumental part of the early design work for the BYU-Pathway Worldwide program. Dr. Barker also serves as a faculty member in the Department of History, Geography, and Political Science at BYU-Idaho.