Karen Weaver, Ed.D., is a distinguished authority on college sports and higher education, particularly where it intersects with management, media, finance, and policy. With extensive practical experience as both a Division I and Division III head coach and athletics administrator, Dr. Weaver’s scholarship investigates a variety of college athletics topics, ranging from the perspectives of university presidents and trustees to the intricacies of athletic conference organization, higher education governance, and sports finance. She focuses on mid-major institutions and FBS Division I programs, scrutinizing matters such as public finance, facility debt policies, and student fees.
Dr. Weaver has been affiliated with Penn GSE since 2007, when she began her doctoral studies in Higher Education Management. Her dissertation, The Launch of the Big Ten Network: How 11 University Presidents Created a Television Network and Changed the College Sports Landscape, received both distinction and national acclaim. Following the completion of her doctoral degree and marking the culmination of a distinguished 30+ year career in college athletics, she joined the faculty at Drexel University, where she taught sports business for eight years. While there, she taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses covering leadership, sports media and digital media, marketing, and promotions. Notably, her design of undergraduate student sports media projects garnered recognition from the Drexel Center for Academic Excellence.
In 2020, Dr. Weaver joined Penn GSE as a faculty member, assuming the role of Adjunct Assistant Professor. In addition to her instructional responsibilities within Penn GSE’s higher education programs, Dr. Weaver is the Academic Director and primary faculty member for the Collegiate Athletics for Senior Campus Leaders certificate program through the Center for Professional Learning.
Well-known in NCAA Divisions I and III athletics administration, Dr. Weaver’s illustrious career has included a multitude of honors and appointments. Her professional journey has seen her serve within several Big Ten universities and small colleges, including overseeing the growth and excellence of their athletic programs.
Dr. Weaver’s personal athletic accomplishments further underscore her profound engagement with sports. As a college athlete, she earned the distinction of All-American and was among the pioneering cohort of women to secure an athletics scholarship under Title IX. She was also part of the U.S. National Training Squad in Field Hockey during the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. Her coaching portfolio within USA Field Hockey includes stints at U.S. Olympic Training Center camps and U.S. Olympic Development camps.