Karen was born in New Rochelle, NY and grew up in Miami Beach, Florida, where she was surrounded by incredible natural beauty and had freedom to explore. Her love for all things ocean led her to pursue a M.S. in Marine Geology. She eventually made the migration west and landed in St. George, Utah.
In 2016, she was tasked with bringing back an oceanography lecture course and field/lab at Utah Tech University in St. George. It was a big undertaking and involved learning new software, organizing content, interfacing with publishers, implementing new technology in the classroom, and managing students. She also taught “Introduction to Environmental Science” as well as environmental science field courses on Catalina Island.
In addition to her extensive university experience, Karen has 20+ years experience organizing regional training as a fundraising consultant for parents, PTAs, and schools.
Her desire to understand Earth’s ever-changing systems, expand her sphere of knowledge, and conserve water, land, air, and space for the generations to come has fueled her path to volunteering as a CSU Water Team Member and Board Member.
Karen graduated from the University of Arizona at Tucson with a B.S. in Biology and a B.S. in Geology and from the University of Miami with an M.S. in Marine Geology.