Karen Butler
Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President for Medical Affairs
Karen Butler has served as chief of staff to the vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Carver College of Medicine since July 2007. She provides administrative, organizational, and strategic support to the VPMA/Dean and oversees day-to-day operations of the office. Since 2005 she has served as the chief of staff to the dean of the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.
She joined the University of Iowa in October 2004 as assistant director in the Office of Alumni and Collegiate Relations in the UI Carver College of Medicine. Before moving to Iowa in 2003, she was director of communications for the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems. Prior to that Butler served as a legislative aide on health and disability policy to U.S. Senator Alan Cranston of California.
Butler holds a master’s degree in communications management from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego.