New associate dean named in College of Engineering and Science
March 16, 2015
High starts new job in May as enrollment booms
CLEMSON, SC – A professor with deep experience in engineering education and a passion for increasing diversity has been named to one of the top positions in Clemson University’s College of Engineering and Science.
Dr. Karen High was named associate dean for undergraduate studies at a time of explosive growth in the college.
Undergraduate enrollment in the college has increased nearly 42 percent in five years and more than 118 percent in the past decade, reaching nearly 5,800 in 2014.
As associate dean, High will oversee undergraduate curriculum, including final approval for new courses and major changes to existing courses. She begins her new job May 18.
“I’m very excited,” High said. “I love working with undergraduate students. I love working with faculty. I look forward to helping both students and faculty work well together and get students where they need to be.”
In the fall semester, High was a visiting professor in the college’s Department of Engineering and Science Education. She taught four courses, all aimed at educators who will teach engineering and science.
High said she was passionate about getting students involved in programs that help deepen their educational experience, whether it’s through entrepreneurship, by studying abroad or by designing new innovations.
She said that she is also passionate about increasing cultural and gender diversity and that she looks forward to enhancing two Clemson programs, Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) and Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention (PEER).
High was previously a faculty member at Oklahoma State University, where she received the the Regents Distinguished Teaching Award. While there, she worked on several educational projects with Oklahoma State’s College of Education. Her reach also extended to the K-12 system. High was a trainer for Project Lead The Way, a nonprofit that provides the K-12 system with programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She helped start an engineering program at Stillwater Middle School. High was also part of a professional development workshop for 80 Oklahoma teachers to develop engineering curriculum.
High received her Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan. She received a Master of Science and Ph.D., both in chemical engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
