Dr. Joan Berry is a graduate of Denton High School. She attended the University of North Texas, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Art and English Education. She attended the University of Texas in Austin, where she completed a Master of Arts in English with a Reading Specialist Endorsement. She received her doctorate in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University.

Dr. Berry taught in the Austin, Round Rock, and Temple schools for 25 years before moving to the Education Service Center Region 12 in Waco, where she served as a Reading Specialist and Director of Curriculum. She also taught English composition and literature courses at Austin Community College in Austin. At UMHB, she teaches courses in child development, classroom management, diverse populations, and curriculum design.

She is a member of Phi Delta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, Delta Kappa Gamma, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She lives in Thornton, Texas.