Karen Nielson

Faculty, Disability Studies

Karen Nielson
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Karen Nielson has been the director of the Disabled Students’ Program at UC Berkeley since July 2016. Prior to that, she began her professional life as a sign language interpreter in K-12 and community college. She graduated from University of Connecticut with a dual degree in law and social work, taught law at a community college in Indiana for nine years and has served as the Director of Disability Services at Purdue University for three years. She has been teaching for CUNY SPS graduate program since 2016, primarily focusing on disability law and higher education.

Karen’s favorite thing about working at CUNY SPS is working with our gifted students and helping to prepare them to be effective advocates for a more inclusive and equitable university environment for persons with disabilities. Her pronouns are she/her hers.