Dr. Karen de Olivares, Dr. Karen de Olivares began advising prehealth students in 1995 at Southern Methodist
University. In 2012, she moved to UT Dallas as the Director of the Health Professions
Advising Center. Since retiring in 2020, Dr. de Olivares has served as a volunteer
advisor for the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions and an
affiliate faculty member for the Center for Values in Medicine, Science and Technology.
She earned a Ph.D. in Education, Foundations and Policy Analysis, at the University
of Michigan. Prior to advising prehealth students, Dr. de Olivares worked for the
Job Corps program and as a substitute teacher. She learned to work with horses and
has enjoyed sharing her life with dogs, cats, birds and the occasional stray turtle.