Karen has over 30 years of experience serving in various administrative positions (vice president, AVP, and dean) in both public and private higher education institutions. She has experience leading award-winning online and off-campus adult serving units, initiating a university wide microcredentialing initiative, serving on the launch team for a competency-based education program, and engaging a system wide enrollment management transformation. She has built academic collaborations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brazil. Karen has expertise working with faculty members throughout the academy, developing cross-institutional academic operations, and expanding corporate and workforce partnerships.
Karen’s work in online, blended and digital learning also positioned her to serve as Chief Knowledge Officer for the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), a nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization. In this role she served as a thought leader and fostered initiatives across the collaborative community related to learning innovation, quality enhancement, leadership development, and institutional transformation.
Prior to starting her administrative career, Karen served as a faculty member at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She holds BS and MS degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University.
As a lifelong learner, Karen has continually added learning experiences and credentials to her professional portfolio. Today, she is a PROSCI certified change management practitioner in addition to having completed coursework through the ROI Institute and IDEOU. Additionally, Karen is conversant in applying Lean methodologies in a higher education context.
Today, Karen and her husband, Mark, along with their two dogs live in Pueblo, Colorado.
Connect with Karen on LinkedIn.