Karen Pearson is professor and chair of Science and Mathematics at the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Director of TechFIT, a National Science Foundation grant: Advancing Technical Education (ATE) project. Karen also serves as the chair of the FIT Sustainability Council. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from Clark University and a doctorate in inorganic chemistry from Washington State University. Prior to joining the FIT faculty in 2004, she was on the research staff at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center. She was honored with the 2011 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and she was awarded a $150,000 grant from the National Science Foundation: Advancing Technical Education (ATE). The award promotes thinking green across the college, focusing on the development of introductory science curriculum to better prepare FIT’s graduates to meet industry demands for the design, development and manufacture of sustainable products including textiles, toys, home products, cosmetics, and packaging.