Karen Beard, PhD
Associate Professor and Chair, Education Administration
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Theta Chapter, 1981
The Ohio State University
Active Member in Alpha Sigma Omega (Columbus Graduate Chapter)
Karen Stansberry Beard is a three-time alum from The Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology. She has received research awards including The Loadman Award for best dissertation which introduced positive psychology and flow theory into Educational Administration, and the JCEL Paula Silver Best Case Award. She guided the Division A Dissertation of the Year Honorable Mention Awardee (Alexis Little) and her scholarship remains impactful to the field of Ed Admin. Karen has multiple teaching awards from both K-12 teaching and Higher Education including the Columbus City PTA Teacher of the Year, the EHE College Teaching Award and The Ohio State Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award. She is the recipient of the inaugural Kofi Lomotey Award for Urban Education’s outstanding editorial service, and The Roudine Bishop Award for Diversity Enhancement within the college. She is on the Executive Committee of The University Council of Educational Administration while remaining active in The American Educational and Research Association. She serves on the OSU senate, in addition to rules, and compensation and benefits committees. She balances her professional activities in service to the Columbus community through two primary organization affiliations
– Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and The Links Incorporated.
“As a firm believer in Education as a liberator, my Scholarship, Teaching, and Service center on the advancement of students and teachers minoritized in schools. Through rigorous research in educational administration and policies supportive of student well-being, I interrogate organizational conditions and leader practices with an intentional focus on the success of African American and Latinx students. My focus is deeply rooted in Civil Rights for the singular purpose of advancing quality-of-life outcomes, particularly for African Americans who remain behind similarly situated others in all quality-of-life indices. In addition to my research and teaching, my service yielded the EHE Roudine Bishop Award for Diversity Enhancement Recipient. My service includes engagement: Department Diversity Committee Chair – Initiated the Diversity Speaker Series & Resource Portal for Faculty Development College EHE Diversity PostDoc Cohort Speaker (annually) University ODI Annual Speaker – Preparing for the Professoriate ODI Annual Mentor – Dissertation Bootcamp National Barbara Jackson Scholar Barbara Jackson Scholar Speaker Barbara Jackson nominator and program participant David Clark Scholar & Mentor I have also been one of the faculty members to take on students of color who have had struggles within their program or with teaching faculty unresponsive to diverse students’ needs.” – Karen Beard, PhD
