Barbara Ann Oakley is an American professor of engineering at Oakland University and McMaster University whose online courses on learning are some of the most popular MOOC classes in the world. She is involved in multiple areas of research, ranging from STEM education to learning practices. Oakley co-created and taught Learning How To Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects, the world’s most popular online course. She also wrote a book, A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra). This is a standalone book, though it companions the ideas presented in the MOOC.Oakley was born in Lodi, California in 1955 to Alfred and Constance Grim. After leaving high school, Oakley enlisted in the U.S. Army. The Army sent her to study at the University of Washington, where she completed a B.A. in Slavic languages and literature. She also received extensive training in Russian at the Defense Language Institute. Oakley went on to serve as a signal officer in Germany for four years, achieving the rank of captain. After her Army duties ended, Oakley decided to challenge herself and see if her brain could be ‘retooled’ to study mathematical subjects. She chose to study engineering to better understand the communications equipment she had been working with in the Army. Oakley completed a B.S. in electrical engineering at the University of Washington in 1986.