Karen Nercessian

Karen Nercessian is Associate Vice Provost for Strategy and Implementation and oversees strategic initiatives and priorities and their successful implementation for the Office of the Provost. Karen’s portfolio includes faculty well-being and the faculty life span, supporting the needs of faculty as New York University community members and caregivers, through sustainable, accessible, and equitable programs and initiatives. Karen is responsible for promoting academic mission integration within the University’s administrative units, and she is responsible for and oversees the strategic direction and priorities of the Work Life Office as well as the Global Research Initiatives, and is the Provostial liaison for the Provostial Centers and Institutes. 

In her role, Karen is responsible for coordinating efforts with the Office of the President, and acting as the point of contact with schools and administrative units such as Global Campus Safety, Office of Construction Management and Facilities, Office of General Counsel, University Human Resources, Information Technology, Office of Compliance and Risk Management, and Faculty Housing. Karen also helps guide the many Provostial committees and working groups mostly around Disabilities, Inclusion and Accessibility, Work Life, and Art in Public Spaces. Karen is a Global Inclusion Officer for the Office of the Provost, and is part of the Global Inclusion Officers Council, working in partnerships with other units and leading the charge to uphold and advance inclusion, diversity, belonging, and equity at the university. 

Since joining NYU in 2006, Karen has held a variety of senior leadership roles. She served as senior project manager for NYU Abu Dhabi’s planning and space programming for the Saadiyat campus, and led Faculty Housing from 2010-2014. As Interim Vice President for Campus Safety, Karen had responsibility for the Department of Campus Safety in New York and the overall public safety for NYU’s 12 Global Academic Centers; in that role, she launched a set of strategic initiatives to increase effectiveness and improve operations across the department. Karen’s most recent role was Chief of Staff to the Provost. 

Karen holds a Master’s in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness from NYU Steinhardt, a Master’s in Public Administration from NYU Wagner, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from American University. Karen is a New York State licensed clinical Mental Health Counselor in private practice and focuses her work on cultural identity and research around the importance of cultural competence in mental health counseling.