Karen Allen

Dean and Professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, Indiana

Karen Allen is the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Valparaiso University. Allen holds a Ph.D. in nursing sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a master’s in nursing administration and a bachelor’s in nursing from Andrews University. She has also been inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Allen served as chair of the nursing department at Andrews University for 17 years. She has been an avid researcher throughout her career, especially in the areas of addiction and mental health nursing. She was principal researcher/evaluator for “A National Cross-Site Evaluation Study on the Effectiveness of Pregnant and Post-Partum Women and Children’s Substance Abuse Treatment Programs.” Additionally, she assessed the design and function of evaluation programs implemented in federally funded women and children’s substance abuse/treatment centers. She is the recipient of numerous awards throughout her career, including the Andrews University Siegfried H. Horn Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarship Lifetime Achievement Award, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Innovator Award for Women’s Substance Abuse Treatment, and the Michigan Nurses Association Carol E. Franck Nursing Leadership Award. Allen has conducted numerous professional presentations related to substance abuse/addictions, and has many publications, including books and articles, in this area as well. She has been a national consultant for years, and served in numerous leadership positions throughout her career – including Member of the National Advisory Council for the United States Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and Member of the Adventist Health Systems Corporate Board of Directors.