Dr. Karen Bame, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, came to UMKC 24 years ago in 1990 as an assistant professor in what was then the School of Basic Life Sciences.
“I’d been in Birmingham, Alabama before I moved to Kansas City, and I had discovered I really wasn’t a country girl. I knew I could be happy living in Kansas City,” she said. “I was excited because of the new school and the possibilities of being here.”
Since fall 2007, Bame has been the graduate programs officer for the School of Biological Sciences (SBS). She is the main adviser for the master’s programs and the doctoral programs in SBS. During her time at UMKC, she has also served on the Faculty Senate, and committees such as the Radiation Safety Committee and the UM System Retirement and Staff Benefits Committee. Currently, SBS is working on enhancing the graduate programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. Bame said that details could be provided in the next couple of months.
Bame’s interest in biology started during her freshman year at the University of California – Santa Barbara. “When I went off to college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” she said. “My father said I had to choose a major, so I chose biology. I went to a quarter-system school, and in the first quarter, they had this course for freshman biology majors where different professors talked about what they did. There was a professor who talked about studying snot, stuff in your nose. I thought that was the coolest thing, and I decided then and there that I was going to become a biochemistry major.”
During her time at UMKC, Bame said she feels accomplished. “I just try to do my best in fulfilling my duties as a teacher, as a researcher, and as an adviser,” she said. “Hopefully I’ve accomplished being the best I can at those kinds of things.”
She said her favorite aspect of her job is interacting with students, both in the classroom and as an adviser.
“I think I’m making a difference,” she said, “sometimes in very small ways, and maybe only to a few people. But I know I make a difference for some people. That’s a motivation for me.”
Bame said there have been ups and downs, but more ups than downs. Before students come to UMKC SBS, Bame is the contact person for admissions information. After a graduate student has been admitted, she is the primary adviser, and continues to be the academic adviser throughout the program. She is also the faculty adviser for UMKC’s Lavoisier Society.
“It’s an organization for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows,” she said. “It allows them to be social, learn about different aspects of a science career, and that kind of thing.”
Retirement is the next significant milestone for Bame, but she said it is still too far away, so she is not thinking about it just yet. She said she does not plan on doing anything much different than what she currently does.
“I want to continue to do what I can to make sure that the School of Biological Sciences can become stronger and fulfill its mission: doing good teaching and research so we can train students to become independent scientists,” she said.