Karen Bacon

Dr. Karen Bacon earned her bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from Stern College for Women and served as valedictorian of her graduating class. She earned her doctorate in microbiology from the University of California at Los Angeles and did post-doctoral research both at UCLA and at Indiana University.

A trend-setter, Dr. Bacon was appointed as the first Stern College alumna to be granted a full-time appointment at Yeshiva College, where she served for two years as Assistant Professor of Biology. Dr. Bacon has been Dean of Stern College for Women since 1977, and in 2015 she was appointed The Mordecai D. Katz and Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean of the Undergraduate Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In this enlarged role she also serves as the Dean of Yeshiva College and is working to unite the faculty on curricular initiatives, academic policies and research collaborations.

Dr. Bacon has co-authored articles in scientific journals and books including the Journal of Bacteriology and the Journal of Ultrastructure Research. Other work include "A Biochemical Response to a Halakhic Challenge: The Case of the Ethiopian Jews" which appeared in the Torah U-Madda Journal, "Women and Jewish Education" in Tradition Magazine, and "Yeshiva University: A Model for Undergraduate Science Research" published in CUR Quarterly.