Director, KPC - Karen Davis O’Hara
Karen Davis O’Hara
Director of Kenai Peninsula College
Kenai Peninsula College
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In August 2026, Karen Davis O’Hara, Ph.D., joined Kenai Peninsula College (KPC) as its new director. Dr. O’Hara was born and raised in Alaska, graduating from Soldotna High School (SoHi) before attending the University of California, Davis, where she completed her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in human development.
Dr. O’Hara worked at California State University, Sacramento for 22 years, where she specialized in teaching and research on children’s emotional development and its relation to psychobiology. She held the positions of professor, department chair and associate dean of instruction and student success for the College of Education. Dr. O’Hara then became executive dean of Sierra College – Nevada County Campus in Grass Valley, California. As executive dean, she fostered relationships throughout the local community and increased student enrollment.