Dr. Amy Van Buren earned a B.S. in criminal justice and criminology from East Tennessee State University and an M.S. in elementary education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also completed her Ed.D. in educational leadership from East Tennessee State University. Prior to coming to Montreat College in 2023, Dr. Van Buren taught English/language arts and social studies to middle school students for 15 years, where she was the recipient of the Grandview Middle School Teacher of the Year award for the 2015-16 school year. In addition, Dr. Van Buren has previously taught at Lenoir Rhyne University and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
An avid presenter with multiple professional presentations at the state, national, and international levels, Dr. Van Buren is an author with one professional book for educators. She is also currently working on a novel. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, spending time outdoors, and traveling.