Karen was involved in K-12 advocacy efforts when her children were young. Her lens later broadened to include higher education, and she held various board positions with the Cal Alumni Association (CAA) and the UC Regents. This governance perspective showed Karen a gap between Berkeley’s impact worldwide and the funding it receives to drive that impact. 

“The amount Berkeley gets from the state is so much less than the general public realizes,” Karen says. “For us to maintain the excellence we’re known for and the value we bring to the world as a research university, not just to our students and faculty, we need support — and from all areas.” 

Among many interests, Karen and her husband Dallan endowed a scholarship through CAA’s Achievement Award Program. Additionally, they established a fellowship for graduate students in the Tang Center for Silk Road Studies, where Karen works. Meghan Howard, the 2019–20 fellowship recipient, used the funds to visit several British institutions, examining Buddhist manuscripts from the Dunhuang caves in China. 

“Meghan had been studying these objects through online and black-and-white photos for over 10 years but seeing them firsthand dramatically shifted her perspective,” Karen says. “To have a student say they used this opportunity to make a difference in their research is really wonderful.”