Karen Abraham, Ph.D.
Interim Provost Karen Abraham, Ph.D., is the university’s chief academic officer.
An orthopedic physical therapist with a special interest in women’s and pelvic health issues, Dr. Abraham joined Shenandoah in 2001, as a Division of Physical Therapy faculty member. She led the Faculty Senate from 2005-2008 and the Division of Physical Therapy from 2008-2015. Abraham then served in what later became the provost’s office as an SU Fellow for Academic Excellence from 2015-2017. Her leadership experience at both the division and university levels served her well in 2017, when she was chosen to lead the university’s School of Health Professions as dean on an interim basis, taking on the role permanently the following year and continuing in this capacity through 2023, when she was asked to lead the university’s academic efforts and faculty as provost.
Abraham earned a Bachelor of Science in physical therapy from the University of Maryland and a Ph.D. in anatomy and cell biology from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Additionally, she has completed an American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Education Leadership Institute Fellowship. Abraham is also highly active within the physical therapy profession, serving as associate editor of the Journal of Women’s and Pelvic Health Physical Therapy and a Physical Therapy Learning Institute board member. She is also a past member of the APTA Education Leadership Fellowship Institute Advisory Group. Outside of the academic and professional spheres, Abraham loves spending time with her family engaged in outdoor activities like running, hiking, cycling, and skiing.