My name is Karen Sobel. I work in faculty professional development: career progression, reappointment/tenure/promotion, leadership, and helping faculty thrive.

Right now, some of the things I often discuss with colleagues are caregiving duties, pandemic stressors, intersectional identities in academia, rank, and keeping on with our goals in this intense environment. My work has an unusual set of foci compared to the work that many faculty development professionals do. I look forward to building a community of colleagues who have related interests or who just want to join the conversation.

Before moving into faculty professional development, I worked full-time as a research librarian. Now I divide my time between my faculty development work & supporting both faculty and students as they build research skills. Never a dull moment. The two halves of my work make for a rich understanding of faculty experiences.

Education

Doctor of Education, Leadership for Educational Equity, University of Colorado Denver (2019)

Master of Science in Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2007)

Master of Arts in English, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2004)

Bachelor of Arts in English (2002)