Meet The Dean
Dr. Karen Myers-Bowman
Welcome to the College of Education
Karen S. Myers-Bowman, PhD, CFLE, is a family scientist specializing in family life education. She brings extensive leadership experience and expertise in higher education and a strong commitment to preparing highly qualified educators for all learners (across genders, ages, ethnicities, cultures, languages, learning styles, and abilities) through formal and community learning opportunities.
Education
- Ph.D. in Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University (1994)
- M.S. in Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University (1992)
- B.A. in Psychology, Manchester College (1986)
Certification
- Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE)
Previous Academic Institutions
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY | San Diego, CA
- Dean (interim), SDSU Global Campus, 2021-2023
- Senior Associate Dean, College of Education, 2019-2021
- Chair, Child & Family Development, 2017 – 2023
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY | Manhattan, KS
- Faculty, Family Studies Unit Chair, Family Studies & Human Services, 1998 - 2017
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | Fargo, ND
- Faculty, Child Development & Family Science, 1994 - 1998
Area(s) of Academic Specialization
- Family Life Education
- Parent-child communication/parent education
- Human sexuality/sexuality education
- Qualitative methodology
- Families in cultural context
- Effective educational methods in multiple environments
She has published her work in journals such as Family Relations, Child Welfare, Journal of Family Theory and Review, Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, Feminist Teacher, Early Childhood Education Journal, and Health Care for Women International.
Dr. Myers-Bowman’s Life Outside of Academia
Karen grew up in Elgin, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She met her husband (Clay Myers-Bowman) while they were students at Manchester University. They have two adult sons and a granddaughter who live in Missouri. Fun fact; they have hosted 10 year-long high school exchange students from around the world.