Karen Eck, Ph.D.

Karen Eck, Ph.D., is UNE’s first associate provost for Research Development and Training, a position created to increase research and scholarship at the University. As associate provost for Research Development and Training, Eck develops and oversees UNE faculty mentoring programs, manages research space allocation, and supervises the Fulbright Scholar program at UNE. She also coordinates the implementation of institutional multi-unit grants, oversees intramural grant programs, and assists in the development of UNE graduate research studies.

Eck most recently served as assistant vice president for research at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia. At ODU, she collaborated with internal and external entities to support research development and policy, strategic planning, and partnerships spanning university, regional, and national initiatives.

Eck is a past president of the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP) and, in 2021, was named a NORDP fellow for her sustained contributions to the organization and leadership in research development. She was recognized in 2024 as a fellow of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities Council for research leadership. That same year, she represented ODU on two U.S. Department of State STEM Research and Education international delegations to develop research partnerships and recruit international students to undergraduate and graduate programs.

A Fulbright Scholar, Eck holds a Ph.D. and a master’s in cognitive psychology from Kent State University and two bachelor’s degrees from Indiana University, Bloomington — one in psychology and the second in French. She held post-doctoral appointments in psycho- and neurolinguistics with the Mental Lexicon Research Project at McGill University and Université de Montréal, respectively.