Dr. Karen Matthews serves as the Director of Strategic Planning and Assessment at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in the Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Planning, and Assessment unit.

She has 20+ years of experience in increasingly responsible administrative and professional roles at UMB. In her current position, her responsibility includes managing and reporting on the University's progress toward achieving its strategic priorities.  She also influences the development of policies, procedures, and practices to support UMB's continuous improvement. In this effort, Dr. Matthews promotes and supports data-informed decision-making as the pathway to continuous improvement.  Professional, educational, and research interests include implementing and evaluating data-driven programs and supporting the design and execution of effective assessment strategies to measure progress toward achieving institutional priorities, including cultural diversity goals and outcomes. She works with university leaders to create effective processes to assess the effectiveness of institutional initiatives.

Dr. Matthews holds a doctorate in management from the University of Maryland University College, a master's degree in public administration from the University of Baltimore, and a bachelor's degree in technology and management from the University of Maryland University College.  Dr. Matthews' research interests include advancing corporate social responsibility, cultural diversity and inclusion, and organizational culture and development.