Barbara Karn

Office of Research and Development

Barbara Karn has led EPA’s research grants program for nanotechnologies in the agency’s Office of Research and Development since the program’s establishment in 2001. Dr. Karn represented EPA on the interagency Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology subcommittee (NSET) of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Science and Technology Council.

Karn holds a Ph.D. in biology and environmental science from Florida International University. She has master’s degrees from Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Ohio State University. Her professional background ranges from electroplating to polymers, from environmental consulting to small business owner, and from academic administrator to water quality management planner. Dr. Karn is a much sought-after lecturer. She is the lead editor of the new book, Nanotechnology and the Environment: Applications and Implications (Oxford University Press, June 2005).