Educational Technology Leader and Anthropologist
Associated with :
University of Texas at AustinKaren E. Smid currently serves as Director of Operations and Student Services at Extended Education Ventures at The University of Texas at Austin, where she leads IT infrastructure and services enabling course registration and delivery. Her academic foundation includes a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan, completed in 2008, with a dissertation focusing on temporal perspectives in West African communities. Her career at UT Austin has evolved from Project Manager at the Center for Teaching and Learning to broader technology leadership roles, including Director of Technology where she oversees IT infrastructure and services. She brings her anthropological background and technical expertise to various course development and software adoption projects, while also contributing to the university's Business and Administrative IT Leadership Council. Her work bridges academic innovation and technological implementation, making her a valuable asset in advancing educational technology initiatives at the university.