Dr. Karen Carlson is Professor at the College of Nursing, Health Sciences Center, University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in maternal-child nursing and teaching from the University of New Mexico, and a doctorate in Parent-Child Nursing Research from the University of Texas at Austin. She also holds a post-master’s certificate in Budgeting and Finance in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. Dr. Carlson has had clinical experiences in inpatient pediatric units, pediatric intensive care units, and outpatient child health clinics, and she has been a house supervisor in a teaching hospital, a recruitment/retention staff assistant, and a unit-based nursing educator. Dr. Carlson has taught in baccalaureate and higher degree programs in nursing for the past 25 years in New Mexico and Arkansas, and has worked in academic administration for about 9 years. Her focus areas in teaching are nursing education, nursing administration as it relates to organizational theory and leadership, and child health. Dr. Carlson has been a faculty member, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Executive Dean, and Vice Dean for External Programs. She serves as a consultant around the country for curriculum and program development in education and in her areas of research.