Karen Colbert is the General Education Department Chair and Lead Math Faculty at Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, a Data Scientist, and a PhD Candidate in Computational Science & Engineering at Michigan Technological University. As a passionate advocate for STEM equity within Tribal college communities, Colbert has been instrumental in bridging the STEM Equity gap by improving quantitative and computational literacy among both students and faculty at TCUs. She was named the RStudio Diversity Scholar in 2021 and later became the first TCU Data Carpentries Instructor and Trainer. Her dissertation research, Visualizing Equity: A Data Storytelling Approach to Evaluating Gender Equity Interventions, brings an inclusive perspective to evaluation, grounded in historically Indigenous practices.

Colbert’s work extends beyond the classroom, as she serves on the faculty advisory committee for the American Indian College Fund and advocates for equitable AI in research and education that includes the voices and needs of Tribal college scholars. She is also a national keynote speaker, recognized for her efforts to elevate Indigenous voices within the research community and to foster decolonized teaching practices that empower the next generation of Indigenous scholars.

‍