Karen Crane
Associate Professor
Department
Business, Accounting, and Economics
Education
BA, University of North Dakota, Summa Cum Laude
MA, University of Akron, research thesis selected to represent all UA graduate students
CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive)
Adult Mental Health First Aid
Office Hours
Monday: 10 am – Noon
Tuesday:
Wednesday: 10 am – Noon
Thursday:
Friday: 10 am – 11 am
Saturday:
Sunday:
Notes: I am often in my office outside of classes and office hours. Stop in!
Biography
Originally from Yakima, Washington, my love of travel and adventure was nurtured from a young age. So far, I have lived in multiple cities and towns in Washington, Nebraska, Ohio, Massachusetts, and North Dakota, and have traveled in every U.S. state except: Alaska, Hawaii, Texas, and Oklahoma. (Iām coming for you!)
Iāve also had the fortune to-date of traveling in almost 20 different countries, as well as the majority of the Canadian provinces. These experiences have given me unique perspectives, including a deep curiosity about individuals and cultures, which, in turn, assist in my teaching.
Prior to teaching at UJ, Iāve had broad opportunities managing and leading in non-profit organizationsāparticularly in the museum field, education, and in fundraisingāin Akron, Ohio; the Boston, Massachusetts, area; and in 911³Ō¹Ļ, North Dakota. Daily at UJ, I strive to use my professional experiences and connections to enhance learning in the classroom.
I joke that any class that has the word āManagementā in it is mineā¦.Strategic Management, Business Management, Human Resources Management, Sales and Sales Management, Health Care Management, Advertising, and Business Law. Hey! Howād those last two make the list? ?
*Strategic. Relator. Maximizer. Input. Responsibility.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 
Professional Memberships and Affiliations
- UJ Faculty Senate, and Personnel Committee
- UJ Presidentās Council
- Association of Fundraising Professionals, Northern Plains, Immediate Past President
- AFP International
- P.E.O., Chapter O, North Dakota
Community Involvement:
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Dakota, Wish Granter
- NAIA Womenās Wrestling National Tournament Committee
- 911³Ō¹Ļ Regional Entrepreneur Center, Board Member
- Dine & Bid Committee
- UJ Athletic Council
Primary Research Interests:
- Missing and stolen artworks
- Business strategy and innovation
- Intersection of Management and Leadership
- Blue Ocean strategy
Favorite class to teach:
Thatās a tough one. Sales and Sales Management directly correlates with several of my past jobs throughout my career, and itās an interesting topic, because itās always evolving. Strategic Management is also one of my favorite topics. Itās fun teaching the seniors in that Capstone Management class, as they put together all the different areas of business theyāve learned about up to that point. We also have a lot of fun (and competition) with a business simulation that pits the class against over 3,500 teams worldwide.
Weāve had a lot of excitement in that class in the past few years, as several teams have broken into the Top 100 worldwide. The highlight in 2022 was one particular week when we had a team place 1st worldwide and a team place 3rd worldwide in Return on Equity. Yes! Iām āgeeking outā right now! But itās truly exciting to see that level of understanding and application of knowledge from our UJ students!