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Karen Ann Holbrook
Holbrook (third from the left) at OSU Policing Center groundbreaking ceremony in 2007
Regional Chancellor University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee
Incumbent
Assumed office 2018
Preceded by	Terry Osborn
13th President of The Ohio State University
In office October 1, 2002 – June 30, 2007
Preceded by	William English Kirwan
Succeeded by	E. Gordon Gee
Personal details
Born	(1942-11-06) November 6, 1942 (age 82)
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Madison University of Washington

Karen Ann Holbrook (born November 6, 1942, in Des Moines, Iowa) is the regional chancellor of the University of South Florida Sarasota–Manatee since January 2, 2018.

Career

Holbrook earned her B.S. and M.S. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, in zoology. After teaching biology at Ripon College, she earned a Ph.D. in biological structure from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1972, where she served as a postdoctoral fellow in dermatology, faculty member and research administrator. She then pursued further training in dermatology. She is an alumna of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

Holbrook was a professor of biological structure and medicine at University of Washington School of Medicine, where she became the first woman to be named associate dean at the UW School of Medicine, vice president for research and dean of the graduate school at the University of Florida, and senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Georgia.

President of Ohio State

From 2002 to 2007, she was the 13th presiding president of Ohio State University. During Holbrook's tenure, she worked with Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman to improve safety both on- and off-campus. This was in reaction to riots following a Michigan–Ohio State football game in 2002. Holbrook announced in June 2006 that she would depart Ohio State when her five-year contract was up in 2007 to spend more time with her husband, Jim. Joseph A. Alutto, dean of the Max M. Fisher College of Business at Ohio State, replaced Holbrook as an interim president until Gordon Gee took his place as the new president.

While applying for a position of President at Florida Gulf Coast University in 2007, Holbrook lamented on the student culture at Ohio State. She remarked in a job interview that, "They think it's fun to flip cars, to really have absolute drunken orgies. ... I don't want to be at a place that has this kind of culture as a norm." Holbrook later acknowledged that she might have exaggerated her comments.

Post-Ohio State

In 2017, while serving as executive vice president at University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, she replaced Terry Osborn as chancellor who was also serving as vice chancellor of academic affairs. From 2013 to 2016, she had served as senior adviser to the president of the University of South Florida system.

Holbrook has served on the boards of several institutions. She also served as interim president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University prior to moving to the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.

References

1. University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Senior Leadership
2. Holbrook, Karen A. (November 23, 2002). "Statement from Ohio State President Karen A. Holbrook in response to off-campus riots". Ohio State. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
3. Flock, Jeff (November 25, 2002). "Ohio State suspends 10 students after riots". CNN. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
4. Boak, Joshua; Provance, Jim (June 8, 2006). "President of OSU to retire in June '07". The Blade. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
5. Busch, Alaina (June 22, 2007). "Ohio State names interim president". WOSU Radio. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
6. Whitehouse, Ken; Lawson, Richard; Wood, E. Thomas (July 11, 2007). "BREAKING: Gee back to Ohio State". NashvillePost.com. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
7. "Former Ohio State president criticizes fans in job interview, softens stance". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 30, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
8. Bush, Bill (August 30, 2007). "Holbrook softens OSU 'orgies' remark". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
9. University of South Florida – Office of the Vice President For Research and Innovation Archived December 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
10. – Embry-Riddle Board of Trustees Archived February 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Past Presidents of the Ohio State University
• onCampus newspaper story on election of Karen Holbrook
• Letter of resignation and facts about her years as President

• 1942 births
• University of Washington School of Medicine alumni
• University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni
• University of Georgia faculty, staff and administration
• Presidents of Ohio State University
• Ohio State University faculty
• University of Florida faculty
• Living people
• Ripon College (Wisconsin) faculty