Karen Knierman is an astronomer and astrophysicist. She studies star formation in colliding galaxies using telescopes in Arizona and in space including the Hubble Space Telescope. She is also a leader in astronomy and physics education and public outreach particularly to minority students and their families. She received her bachelor's degree from Penn State, her master's degree from University of Arizona, and her doctorate from Arizona State University. She has served as faculty at Mesa and Chandler-Gilbert Community Colleges. She was awarded the National Science Foundation Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship. She is currently a lecturer and the Online Degree program head for the upcoming BS in Astronomical and Planetary Sciences.