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Karen R. Hitchcock, Ph.D.
Karen R. Hitchcock, Ph.D., Special Advisor, Park Strategies, LLC, has had a
distinguished career as an educator, research scientist and university administrator.
From 2004 to 2008, Dr. Hitchcock was Principal and Vice Chancellor of Queen’s
University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. This followed her nine year tenure (1996 to
2004) as President of the University at Albany, State University of New York.
Additionally, she served in a number of leadership roles at the University of Illinois,
Chicago and Texas Tech University, as well as Tufts University in Boston where she
received numerous teaching awards as she moved through the ranks to become the
George A. Bates Professor and Chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cellular
Biology. Dr. Hitchcock received her B.S. in Biology from St. Lawrence University and
her Ph.D. from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
During her leadership of the University at Albany and Queen’s University, Dr. Hitchcock
was committed to fostering university – business – government partnerships in order to
advance research, enhance the quality of education and foster economic development.
Aligning university research strengths with the needs and priorities of the Capital
Region, the state and the nation, led to major developments in nanotechnology, and
health and environmental sciences. In partnership with the state and federal
governments, as well as numerous industry leaders, the University at Albany developed
unique, state-of-the-art research facilities and educational programs, including the first
School of Nanosciences in the nation. These multi-sector, multi-billion dollar
investments at the University at Albany helped make the region and state a world leader
in nanoscale sciences and engineering. Further, under Dr. Hitchcock’s leadership, a
partnership of the University at Albany with the New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Saratoga Economic Development
Corporation led to the development of the country’s first technology park specifically
devoted to promoting new clean energy technologies.
Dr. Hitchcock has published extensively in her research field of cell and developmental
biology and has received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
At the national level, she has been elected to leadership positions in her professional
associations, including the presidency of The American Association of Anatomists. Dr.
Hitchcock was appointed to numerous National Institutes of Health study sections,
special review panels and advisory committees, served as Vice Chair of the Middle
States Commission on Higher Education and completed two terms as a member of the
National Board of Medical Examiners.
Working with the state and numerous private sector partners, the East Campus of the
University was also developed under Dr. Hitchcock’s leadership, and is now the home
of the University’s School of Public Health, a state-of–the-art Cancer Center, and many
small and large businesses and industry partners. In Canada, as head of Queen’s
University, Dr. Hitchcock developed similar multi-sector partnerships with industry and
government, partnerships which enabled the establishment of a major new research
park at the University dedicated to energy and environmental technologies and
advanced materials. Further, with strong provincial and city support coupled with major
private giving, a new Queen’s University Performing Arts Center now graces the shores
of Lake Ontario.
Dr. Hitchcock co-hosted the popular “Best of Our Knowledge” national public radio show
on WAMC for eight years, and currently has a biweekly commentary on WAMC’s
Northeast Report. She has served on the boards of numerous civic and educational
organizations in the community, including her current membership on the Boards of
WMHT (current Vice President), Albany Pro Musica (current President) and The Doane
Stuart School. She was founding Co-Chair of the Capital Region Business-Higher
Education Roundtable and was elected Chair of both the Albany-Colonie Chamber of
Commerce and the Center for Economic Growth.
Dr. Hitchcock has received numerous professional, educational and civic awards,
including the Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce “Envoy Salute”, the Business
Review’s Special Recognition Award, the Marketer-Executive-Citizen of the Year
Award, the 2004 Women in Media Award from the Women’s Press Club of New York
State, among many others. She was a 2004 inductee of the Capital Region Business
Hall of Fame. In 2004, Dr. Hitchcock was granted honorary doctoral degrees from
Albany Medical College, and her alma mater, St. Lawrence University.
Dr. Hitchcock resides in Rexford, New York.