Karen Watt was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana and attended Catholic schools from first grade through college. She moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 1985 after earning her bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana. She began her high school teaching career in the field of Biology and coached track and cross country for nine years at three different schools districts in the Valley. In 1990, Dr. Watt received her master’s degree in Physical Education from UTPA, and in 1994 became certified in mid-management. She served as principal of St. Joseph School in Edinburg for two years and as high school assistant principal in the Edinburg CISD for two years. Dr. Watt completed her doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin in 1999 and began teaching in the Department of Educational Leadership at UTPA shortly thereafter. Currently Dr. Watt is the director of the doctoral program in Educational Leadership at UTPA and is an assistant professor. She is the daughter of Michael Watt of Laguna Vista, Texas and Judith Candelaria of Corrales, New Mexico and currently resides in San Juan, Texas.