DePauw named president of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools

Karen DePauw, vice provost for Graduate Studies and dean of the Graduate School, has been named the thirty-sixth president of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools.

As president of CSGS, DePauw will further advance her leadership role in graduate education at the regional and national levels.

Since her arrival at Virginia Tech in August 2002, she has made major improvements in graduate education. Her accomplishments include the establishment of the nationally unique and innovative Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown, the introduction of an imaging system, and the signature initiative known as Transformative Graduate Education (TGE). TGE includes programs and coursework such as Preparing the Future Professoriate and Preparing the Career Professional (PFPro), Graduate Education Development Institute, and the Citizen Scholar engagement program.

Before coming to Tech, DePauw served 22 years on the faculty at Washington State University and held several administrative positions, including dean of the graduate school. She was also a founding member and facilitator/chair for the Virginia Council of Graduate Schools (VCGS); has served as a panelist, speaker, and presenter at regional affiliates and national Council of Graduate School meetings and workshops. She was recently elected as a Board Member for the Council of Graduate Schools. In addition, she has been an invited speaker for NSF IGERT meetings and NSF Advance conferences and workshops.

DePauw has also earned a scholarly reputation in the fields of kinesiology, disability sport and disability studies. She has published extensively and presented keynote and scholarly lectures around the world. Her leadership in sport science has included associations such as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and most recently, the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE).

DePauw received a Ph.D. from Texas Woman’s University, a master’s degree from California State University, Long Beach, and her bachelor’s degree from Whittier College.

The Conference of Southern Graduate Schools comprises over 200 graduate schools in fifteen states of the southern region of the United States. The Conference considers topics relating to graduate study and research, disseminates information, and promotes standards. It also serves as a liaison with other national and regional educational bodies.