DBU REPORT 24 NEWS&NOTES “I have to say that the richest part of receiving this recognition is knowing that it comes from being part of a community. This community has richly blessed me and has richly supported me. It is so good to be in a supportive academic community.” Dr. Karen Alexander has been a dedicated professor at DBU for nearly ten years, teaching both English and Spanish courses in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Dr. Alexander is passionate about the lives of her students both in and out of the classroom, seeks to establish thought-provoking instruction through deep reflection on writings of the past, and aims to foster relationships between students through a number of different instructional methods. It is because of all these reasons and more that Dr. Karen Alexander was named the 2021 Piper Outstanding Professor of the Year. Dr. Alexander was born in San Antonio, Texas. Because her father was in the Air Force, she grew up all around the globe, spending time in Ankara, Turkey; Dayton, Ohio; DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY’S PIPER OUTSTANDING PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR - DR. KAREN ALEXANDER - San Antonio, Texas; and the Philippines. As she moved into adulthood, her love for the nations grew, leading her to become a full-time missionary later in life. Dr. Alexander attended Baylor University, where she obtained her undergraduate degree, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of Virginia. She went on to receive an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Baylor. Dr. Alexander completed her journey of higher education by conducting her post-doctoral work in Spanish at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in Argentina. Dr. Alexander has been married to her husband, Dr. Mark Alexander, for 40 years. He also serves as a professor at DBU, teaching intercultural studies in the College of Christian Faith and in the Graduate School of Ministry. Prior to their time in Dallas, the Alexanders served as missionaries with the International Mission Board for 25 years in Argentina. They have three adult children. The Alexanders first came to DBU after being introduced by their colleague Dr. Bob Garrett to Dr. Cook in 2012 upon returning to the U.S. to take care of their parents. Dr. Karen Alexander teaches English and Spanish classes, as well as upper-level courses in English literature such as courses on seventeenth century English poetry and Shakespeare, and surveys of literature from Spain and from Mexico.
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