Karen Chaney, Ph.D.
Dean for Academic Quality
Phone: 269-749-7726
Dr. Karen Chaney serves as dean for academic quality and teaches in the areas of religious studies, ethics and philosophy. She has a strong commitment to liberal arts education as a means for deepening our awareness of the human experience and for enriching our lives.
Dr. Chaney attended Michigan State University as a National Merit Scholar, studying political philosophy at James Madison College and the Honors College. She maintains an interest in the evolution of classical liberal thought from its eighteenth century European origins to today’s concepts of global human rights. Dr. Chaney completed a Master of Divinity degree at Harvard University, with a focus on women’s studies in religion and professional training in the ministry. Her doctoral work in social ethics at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley examined concepts of global justice in debates regarding agricultural protectionism at the World Trade Organization. She served as a fellow at the Center for Ethics and Social Policy and has had an active interest in global politics and economics, particularly in the region of Latin America.
Dr. Chaney was instrumental in developing Olivet’s philosophy, ethics, and religious studies curriculum. She teaches courses in biomedical ethics; environmental ethics; philosophy; world religions; gender, sexuality and religion; and Christian history. She particularly enjoys teaching courses in world religions, examining the ways in which spirituality is expressed in different religious traditions and cultures. Her research interests include the relationship between social mobility and shifting frameworks of moral obligation. She has mentored students in conference presentations and has worked with students on independent projects in environmental ethics, social and political reconciliation, and the comparative study of religion.
