Please welcome Karen Tausher to our team as the new director of information technology for the college. She will provide support for the college’s technology needs, including the current Google Workspace project and other platforms that simplify workflows for faculty and staff.
Karen relocated to Cleveland from Seattle, where she gained IT experience in higher education, health care and law. She is taking over the duties that Tron Engle-Compton had been filling and will report directly to him.
Karen will also support the IT needs of the School of Engineering and UGEN. She graciously answered a few questions so that we can all get to know her a little better.
Why did you choose CWRU?
In looking for a position in the Cleveland area I was monitoring higher education job boards and was thrilled when a position came available at CWRU that aligned with my skill set. I love being in an environment of curiosity, learning and research.
What did you do prior to joining CWRU?
Most recently I was working in healthcare for Providence St. Joseph Health, one of the largest healthcare providers on the west coast. I was the technical strategic partner for the clinical executive teams for Providence, Swedish and Pacific Medical Center in Washington, Oregon and Montana. Before that I worked for Seattle Pacific University, and the rest of my career has been in the legal arena with mostly large international law firms.
What do you like most about your new role?
Finding and supporting technical solutions that will make peoples’ lives easier.
What are you looking forward to in your career at CWRU?
One of the reasons I love technology is that there is constant change which requires constant learning. Throughout my career I’ve seen roles and structures change to adapt to technology shifts and individual strengths. My hope is that this will continue with new opportunities here at Case Western Reserve and I am able to grow in my current role.
Tell us about yourself?
I love traveling and even lived in Paris for five years and Frankfurt for two years. This has given me ample opportunities to see the world. I’ve had the privilege to visit every continent except Antarctica, which is on my bucket list.
I adopted all five of my children, whose ages range from 18 to 33, from the foster system and I have a passion for supporting foster families and the foster community.
Outside of travel, I like reading, cooking and hanging out with my kids, friends and dogs.
Reach out to Karen
You can email her, reach out by phone (216.368.2511) or stop by her office in Crawford Hall (575).