Karen Lozano is the Trustee Professor and Chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering at Rice University, a position she assumed in January 2025. Prior to this, she spent 25 years at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), where she served as the Julia Beecherl Endowed Professor in Mechanical Engineering and designed, developed, and served as the inaugural director of both the university’s first Ph.D. program in Engineering and the UTRGV Nanotechnology Center, among many other initiatives. Dr. Lozano is widely recognized for her innovative and synergistic approach to integrating education with high-impact technical research. She has led numerous initiatives that created pathways for educational, social, and economic mobility, empowering hundreds of at-risk students who now lead successful professional careers. Through her visionary leadership, she spearheaded a transformative research culture at a once teaching-focused institution. Her NanoTeam program achieved a 100% retention and graduation rate for more than 700 undergraduate researchers, with over 50 alumni going on to pursue Ph.D. degrees in engineering. A prolific inventor and entrepreneur, Dr. Lozano holds multiple patents, publications, and co-founded two companies, one of which received the prestigious R&D 100 Award. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Her honors include the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM), Engineer of the Year by Great Minds in STEM, and a Lone Star EMMY Award for her contributions to STEM outreach. Dr. Lozano earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Universidad de Monterrey and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University.