As Interim Vice President for Communications and Director, University Media Relations, Karen provides strategic counsel to university leadership on a broad range of high-profile crisis communications issues and leads media relations strategy for the university. For over 24 years, Karen has drawn on her journalism and communications strategy background to manage communications teams that consistently amplify Yale’s name in news outlets worldwide.

Before coming to Yale, Karen was an award-winning education writer and editor at Scholastic/New York Times Upfront Magazine, a reporter at Gannett Newspapers; and a writer for the National Academy of Sciences, NBC Universal, and other magazines and websites. She has also worked for public relations agencies in New York City, where she managed multi-million-dollar product launch campaigns for pharmaceutical clients such as SmithKline Beecham, Wyeth-Ayerst, and Rhône-Poulenc Rorer.

Karen’s work at Yale has earned countless placements in top media outlets, bolstering Yale’s reputation for excellence in the sciences, humanities and medicine, and research across many scientific and clinical disciplines.

Karen has a Master of Science degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Karen’s philanthropic and volunteer work includes serving as treasurer and chair of the Fund for Women & Girls at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum Connecticut chapter. She serves on several committees at Yale, including Title IX, Wellness, Provenance, and DEI/Belonging.