Karen Conner is the UW-CTRI Director of Outreach Programs. In this role, Conner plans, implements, and evaluates outreach projects and helps manage research projects. She also aids the regional outreach specialists serving Wisconsin in the work they do with healthcare professionals, healthcare systems, behavioral health systems, and community members.
Conner has spent her entire career working to reduce tobacco use among populations most negatively impacted by commercial tobacco. She spent the first eight years of her career in Alaska working with state and tribal health organizations to develop and implement systems to better address tobacco use. Since then, she has worked for a local health department in Minnesota and for the State of Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, where she provided training and technical assistance to communities to improve health outcomes and reduce tobacco-related disparities.
Conner is originally from Iowa. She earned her master’s degree in public health from the University of Alaska, Anchorage.
