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Karen has worked in higher education since 1991 and has served as the Director of the Academic Advising and Planning Center at the College of Charleston since February 2013. In this role, she provides for the overall leadership and strategic planning for the department and the students it serves, the overall supervision of the Center’s staff, collaborating with other campus departments for New 91ÁÔÆæ Orientation and other programmatic efforts, and using assessment practices and data in support of best practices in academic advising.

Karen has been actively involved in NACADA: A Global Advising Community since 2000 serving a term on the Global Awards Committee, Past Region 3 Conference Chair in 2018, Past Region 3 Chair from 2019-2021, presenting and co-presenting at numerous regional and national conferences on advising and work-related topics, and as a Faculty Member at the NACADA Administrators’ Institute from 2021-24.

She has had two articles published in Academic Advising Today and most recently published her first book, Leadership in the Trenches: Proven Success Strategies for Middle Manager to Thrive in a System They Didn’t Create. In 2022, she received the College’s prestigious Employee of the Year recognition by receiving the Outstanding Presidential Service Award. Prior to her current role, Karen worked at North Carolina State University as an advisor, lecturer, Assistant Director and Associate Director in the First Year College. During her professional career she has also worked in a variety of capacities at UT-Knoxville, University of South Dakota and UNC-Chapel Hill as a professional Hall Director in Residence Life, a Freshman Seminar Instructor and Academic Advisor. She received her B.A. from Radford University in Speech Communication: Radio/TV and her M.A. from Appalachian State University in 91ÁÔÆæ Development.

In her free time, she enjoys attending concerts and cultural events with her husband, traveling, and gardening. She has an adult daughter who graduated from Western Carolina University and is the Band Director at Marrington Middle School in Goose Creek, SC, and a son who graduated from high school in May 2023 and joined the Navy Reserves.