07/10/2026
Please welcome our new KPC College Director, Dr. Karen Davis O’Hara. She begins her position on August 3rd.
Kenai Peninsula College shares in the excitement of Chancellor Siemers' announcement that Dr. Karen Davis O'Hara has been appointed the incoming Director of KPC.
In the words of the Chancellor, "I am pleased to share that Karen Davis O’Hara, Ph.D., will be joining Kenai Peninsula College (KPC) as the new director. A graduate of Soldotna High School, Karen returns to the Kenai Peninsula after more than two decades of leadership roles in California’s higher education systems, beginning her new role on Aug. 3.
Karen brings a wealth of experience in university instruction, leadership, research and community-driven campus growth to KPC. Most recently, she served as the executive dean of Sierra College - Nevada County Campus, where she successfully grew enrollment and fostered deep ties connecting the college with the local community.
Prior to Sierra College, Karen spent 22 years at California State University, Sacramento, where she was a professor, department chair and associate dean of instruction and student success for the College of Education. Her academic research focuses on teaching and on children’s emotional development and its relations to psychobiology.
Karen holds both a bachelor’s and doctoral degree from the University of California, Davis.
I would like to extend my appreciation to Brian Partridge for serving as interim director during the transition period. Brian will continue serving as interim director until Karen joins us in August. Following her arrival, Brian will return to his role as director of KPC’s Kachemak Bay Campus, where he will continue supporting the college’s mission and students."
Welcome to Kenai Peninsula College, Dr. Davis O'Hara!