Karen McCormack

Karen McCormack,  Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, oversees the academic affairs division, including the faculty, the curriculum and all the various academic affairs offices. 

Provost McCormack brings significant experience in successful academic and administrative leadership to the role. As Associate Provost for Academic Administration and Faculty Affairs, she worked with faculty, staff, and students to develop and implement sustainable policies and programs to support student success. This work has included collaborating across the college to implement unique features of the Compass curriculum, such as MAP Day and the sophomore experience.

McCormack’s contributions to curriculum and faculty development began well before her service as associate provost. She previously served as co-chair of the Curriculum Design and Implementation Committee and as Curriculum Coordinator, guiding the launch of the Compass curriculum in 2020. She also worked in partnership with the Corporate and Foundation Relations Office in Advancement to secure a $200,000 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation to support the curriculum transformation as well as additional awards.  

McCormack is a sociologist and active scholar whose work explores questions at the intersection of community, inequality, and technology. As a part of a small research team funded by a grant from the Department of Agriculture, her current work explores the social and economic impact of informal work in rural communities. 

A  talented and creative teacher and productive scholar, McCormack also has been a very effective advocate and representative for faculty: in the provost’s office, as chair of the sociology department (2016-2021), as president of Wheaton’s chapter of AAUP, on many faculty committees including Advisory, Tenure, and Provost’s Advisory, and as a speaker at college events for prospective students and for the college’s alumni.