Dr. Karen Liller received her PhD in 1988 from the University of South Florida and is presently the Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation. She also is a full tenured professor in the College of Public Health specializing in public health and injury prevention. She also holds a joint academic appointment in the College of Medicine as Professor of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. Dr. Liller holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in medical technology, technical education, and curriculum and instruction.

Dr. Liller's teaching, research, and service activities largely focus on public health and the prevention and control of children's unintentional injuries. She has been the recipient of several university and other awards such as the first State of Florida Injury Prevention Award and the Tampa Bay Business Healthcare Hero Award. She has received several national and state grants related to injury prevention. She presently serves as the lead researcher in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the USF Sports Medicine and Athletic Related Trauma Institute (SMART) injury data collection registry for high school athletes.

Dr. Liller has published extensively in top peer-reviewed publications and was named one of the top 15 national women scholars in health education and health promotion. She is the editor of the injury text, "Injury Prevention for Children and Adolescents: Research, Practice, and Advocacy," published by the American Public Health Association. She is a member of several public health and injury prevention professional associations and societies and serves on several prestigious advisory boards statewide and nationally that focus on graduate education and injury prevention.