Karen A. Spiller

Karen Spiller

Thomas W. Haas Professor in Sustainable Food Systems
Office: Academic Affairs, Nesmith Hall, Durham, NH 03824

As the Thomas W. Haas Professor in Sustainable Food Systems at University of New Hampshire (UNH), Durham, NH, Karen’s primary responsibility is to connect the community-engaged, transdisciplinary work of Food Solutions New England (FSNE), and in particular, its racial equity work, to students, faculty, and staff at UNH through lectures, workshops, and collaborative scholarship. The Haas Professorship was established to deepen the ties between UNH and the New England food system; by serving as a “Professor of Practice”, Karen brings unique community and practitioner perspectives into the UNH sustainable learning community. 

Karen is Principal of KAS Consulting and provides mission-based consulting with a focus on resource matching, board development, and strategic planning for health and equity-focused initiatives. She has extensive experience in working with youth, young adults, and community members in a variety of educational and training programs. Karen serves on national and regional committees and leads teams committed to creating an equitable public health and sustainable food systems with a number of organizations and initiatives including Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE). As national SOPHE Chair of Chapter Development, she managed the coordination and collaboration of SOPHE’s 21 chapters across the United States for more than three years. 

Involved in state-wide and regional food system work, Karen is an engaged steering committee member of the FSNE network. She serves as Massachusetts Ambassador for its New England Food Vision linking the racial equity commitment, work and lived experiences of students; residents; organizations; and communities of color to the evolving food system work happening across the New England states. Karen serves local, state and regional organizations in various roles that include board membership of Boston Food Forest Coalition, Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group and AMIBA - American Independent Business Alliance.