(Radio Iowa) – An Iowan nominated by President Trump to serve in the U.S. Department of Education says American universities must be reformed. David Barker, an economist and real estate developer from Iowa City, has been nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. He’s served on the board that governs the three state universities since May of 2019.

Barker says his personal review also found nearly all the politically-oriented books that were required reading for courses at Iowa, Iowa State and U-N-I were liberal.

Barker says he helped create centers at Iowa, Iowa State and U-N-I that will provide ideological balance.

Barker is a member of the Iowa Republican Party’s governing board and made his comments during a speech at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s fall banquet. Barker’s current term on the Board of Regents expires in the spring of 2031 and the U-S Senate has not yet scheduled a hearing on his nomination to serve in the Trump Administration. If confirmed, Barker would oversee federal financial aid programs for students and accreditation of colleges and universities.
Barker, who is 64, graduated from Iowa City West High School and went on to get a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago. Barker was an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and has taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa. His Iowa City-based company owns, manages and develops apartments and other properties.