Welcome to the Dr. Karen Butler-Purry Research Group
About Dr. Karen Butler-Purry
Dr. Karen Butler-Purry is an Electrical and Computer Engineering professor and an Associate Provost for Graduate and Professional Studies emerita.
She received her B.S. (summa cum laude) in Electrical Engineering in 1985 from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was awarded her M.S. degree in 1987 from the University of Texas at Austin and her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1994 from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
During her over 30 years at Texas A&M University, Dr. Butler-Purry has served at all faculty levels, beginning with an initial appointment as a visiting assistant professor of electrical engineering in 1994. Dr. Butler-Purry has vast experience as an administrator and program leader at Texas A&M. From 2001-2004, she served as Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs in the College of Engineering, served as Associate Department Head in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department from 2008-2010, and served as Associate Provost for Graduate and Professional Studies from 2010 through 2020 and then in the expanded role of Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School through August 2022. In addition, she served as Interim Vice President for Research from 2017-2018.
Dr. Butler-Purry’s research interests are in the areas of modeling and simulation, protection and control of electric power distribution systems and isolated power systems such as all electric power systems for ships, smart grids, and power microgrids, cybersecurity protection, intelligent systems for power system equipment deterioration and fault diagnosis, and engineering education. She is a registered professional engineer in the states of LA, TX, and MS. Dr. Butler-Purry developed a successful research program and has supervised and funded over 50 graduate and 80 undergraduate research students. Additionally, she has led several fellowship and education projects sponsored by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Education, which promote recruitment, retention, and advancement of pre-college, college, graduate students, and faculty in STEM fields, particularly individuals from historically underrepresented populations.
Dr. Butler-Purry received the National Science Foundation Faculty Career Award (1995) and the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award (1999). She has received numerous teaching and mentoring awards, including a 2024 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring and the 2005 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mentor Award. She was elevated to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow status in 2018. Further, in 2021, Dr. Butler-Purry received the Council of Graduate Schools Debra Stewart Award for Outstanding Leadership in Graduate Education.