Karen Muñoz-Cárdenas

Karen was born in Bogotá, Colombia, surrounded by her beloved – and luckily a bit crazy and adventurous – relatives. She went to a catholic primary school in Soacha, a town near Bogotá. Karen and her family moved to Bogotá when she was 12 years old. There she attended a public technical high school. After graduating from high school, Karen travelled to the USA to work and to learn English. In 2002, Karen returned to Colombia to study a bachelor’s degree in Applied Biology at the Nueva Granada Military University (UMNG). Karen was, is and will be a pacifist, so going to a military university may sound paradoxical. However, the UMNG was affordable, and their biology program focused on the important role biodiversity plays in agriculture. Karen became especially interested in the subject of biological control: visiting and conducting experiments in ornamental and aromatic crops, Karen observed that in crops with low pesticide use, there was a higher diversity of beneficial insects and mites, and a better quality of life for the growers. This had a strong impact on Karen’s life. That’s why she decided to pursue a master’s degree focused on plant protection and biological control at the UMNG. During her postgraduate studies, Karen continued working as a research assistant for the Colombian Association of Flower Growers (ASOCOLFLORES).Her master’s thesis dealt with the integrated pest management in rose crops. In 2008, Karen attended a workshop on agricultural acarology at Ohio State University. There she met Prof. Maurice Sabelis. He accepted Karen in his team. In 2010, she earned a scholarship from the Colombian Department of Science and Technology (COLCIENCIAS) to pursue a PhD program. In the year 2011, Karen did an internship in a biological control company, met her soul mate, and began her PhD research.Karen now works as an Environmental Risk Evaluator at the Dutch Board for the Authorization of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (CTGB). In her new role, Karen wishes to continue highlighting the importance of biodiversity for sustainable agriculture.