Karen Gebhardt
Faculty Director for Undergraduate Online Learning
Affiliate of the Office of Academic & Learning Innovation

Karen is an economist, educator, and academic administrator with a demonstrated track record of creating successful online learning environments. In 2023, Karen was appointed as the Faculty Director for Undergraduate Online Learning at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she leads several major projects related to online learning.

In addition to her role as Faculty Director, Karen serves as the Director of the Online Economics Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. Under her leadership, this program has gained a reputation for innovative course design and strong student engagement and support, providing students with high-quality education and strong sense of community and belonging.

Karen is deeply committed to promoting student success through online learning. Her goals are to increase access to higher education through online learning, and to improve student learning outcomes, enhance retention rates, and increase graduation rates for all online learners.