This article presents an interview with Barbara Townsend, recipient of the 2009 Exemplary Research Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Division J, recognizing the impact of her work on the field. The "Community College Journal of Research and Practice" ("CCJRP") has been an important outlet for sharing Townsend's work with scholars and practitioners throughout her career. Of the numerous articles she has published in "CCJRP," a 1985 piece entitled "Faculty Preferences for Institutional Directions for the Community College" (Townsend, 1985) reported results of her quantitative doctoral dissertation. This article set into motion a long and important trajectory of publication that extended over more than two decades. This interview provides a glimpse into how Townsend's career unfolded, what ideas captured her attention, and what work sustained her passion to make a difference.