Dr. Karen Larwin

Karen H. Larwin, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor and IRB Chair at YSU. She works in the Teacher Education and Leadership Studies Department. Dr. Larwin joined the faculty of YSU in 2010 after working at the University of Akron in the Math Department, where she served as the Coordinator of Statistics. Dr. Larwin obtained a Ph.D. from Kent State University in Evaluation, Measurement, and Applied Statistics in 2007, and earned a Master’s in Public Health in 2021. Dr. Larwin is recognized nationally in Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed-Methods research design and analysis and is the developer of systematic item reduction in Structural Equation Modeling (SIR-SEM). While Dr. Larwin publishes methodological papers, her theoretical research focuses on topics touching individuals with special needs and members of underserved populations. Through her research, Dr. Larwin has established the theoretical concepts of Subtractive Leadership and the Trauma of Poverty. Dr. Larwin’s work at YSU has focused on supporting and empowering over eighty individuals to earn their doctorate in Educational Leadership. Dr. Larwin serves as an evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission and the Ohio Commission on Minority Health. She serves as a member of governing and advisory boards for schools and non-profit organizations across the tri-county area. Dr. Larwin also serves as a chair on the executive board of the American Evaluation Association’s Quantitative Section.