Karen Schultz Named Director of the Institute for Government and Public Service at Shenandoah University
Karen Schultz, a recognized community leader in the Shenandoah Valley and a faculty member at Shenandoah University since 1981, has been appointed director of Shenandoah University’s Institute for Government and Public Service (IGPS).
Schultz's appointment by Shenandoah University President Tracy Fitzsimmons was enthusiastically endorsed by the institute's executive committee, which has been searching for a permanent replacement for Bill Shendow who directed the institute for 10 years. Travis Sample has served as interim director for the past two years.
Sample, a professor of public administration in his 20th year at the university, will return to full-time teaching for the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business.
"I have enjoyed immensely being director of the institute, and I know that we are placing it in very good hands," said Sample. "Dr. Schultz has a thorough appreciation of the role and scope of government and the good that can be accomplished through public service."
Schultz, an associate professor at the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, earned a bachelor's degree from The College of William and Mary, an associate's degree in respiratory care and a master's in business administration from Shenandoah University, and a Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
“I’m excited to focus my energy in this new arena, encouraging teamwork, collective thinking and greater understanding, influencing policy and inspiring students to engage in a deeper level of public service.”
-Dr. Karen Schultz, new director of Shenandoah University’s Institute for Government and Public Service (IGPS)
She received the university-wide exemplary teaching award in 2009, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Service Award in 2005 and has been honored twice as the pharmacy school’s teacher of the year. In the classroom, her ideas have won national recognition for innovations in teaching, and her service learning course has contributed just under 16,000 hours of student service in the region and achieved national recognition.
Active at the state level, Schultz is a member of the Virginia Commission on Energy and Environment and was recently appointed by the governor to serve on the Virginia Board of Nursing.
“The institute has a legacy of fostering dialogue between differing points of view and as a place where the community, leaders and students can gather to share ideas,”Schultz said. “I’m excited to focus my energy in this new arena, encouraging teamwork, collective thinking and greater understanding, influencing policy and inspiring students to engage in a deeper level of public service.”
Schultz said the institute is in an excellent position to engage the community, not only in Winchester but throughout the region. The institute is dedicated to respectful discourse and civil discussions that address the tough issues facing government and public service.
The Institute for Government and Public Service is a non-partisan, non-ideological center that continues Shenandoah University’s commitment to use its resources and expertise to assist local, regional, national and global communities as they face the challenges of the 21st century. The multi-disciplinary nature of the institute permits it to span traditional boundaries between the university and the larger community by bringing faculty, expert practitioners and internationally recognized scholars and public servants to campus.
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