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As a long-time mentor of undergraduate researchers, Dr. Olmstead was well
acquainted with Salisbury University’s national reputation for
outstanding undergraduate education and its growing reputation
for excellence in applied graduate programs. Thus, she was
delighted to be appointed as Dean of SU’s Henson School of
Science and Technology effective July 1, 2008. In her new
position, Dr. Olmstead has administrative responsibility for
SU’s science, health science, and technology programs including
seven academic departments, more than 150 faculty, and 1,400
students. Previously, Dr. Olmstead held several leadership
positions at The University of South Dakota (USD) including
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Graduate Dean,
Director of University Honors and Undergraduate Academic
Programs, Chair of Biology, and program director of an
externally funded undergraduate research program.
An ecologist
by training, Dr. Olmstead has conducted basic research on insect
defense and host-plant interactions and applied research on tallgrass prairie restoration. She has published nearly 20
articles in refereed journals and given 50 conference and
invited talks. In her various leadership positions, Dr.
Olmstead’s efforts have resulted in more than $2.5M in support
of university programs, including $1.1M for undergraduate
research programs in the life sciences (HHMI), $1M for service
learning integration into the undergraduate curriculum (Midwest
Consortium for Service Learning in Higher Education), and most
recently $450K from the Bush Foundation in support of
undergraduate education.
Dr. Olmstead’s
success as a faculty member and academic administrator has been
recognized by several awards including USD's Professor of the
Year award (1997) and the University of Delaware’s Presidential
Citation for Outstanding Achievement (2001). An alumna of the
University of Maryland, College Park and the University of
Delaware, Dr. Olmstead is delighted to return to the
Mid-Atlantic Region.
Karen L. Olmstead, Ph. D.
Henson Science Hall Room 201 B
KLOLMSTEAD@salisbury.edu |
