Karen Schlatter is the director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University. Established as one of the 54 Water Resources Research Institutes under the Water Resources Research Act, the center, part of Colorado State University’s Office of Engagement and Extension, facilitates outreach, education, and applied interdisciplinary research to address complex water challenges faced in Colorado and beyond. 

Schlatter leads the center as a hub that engages water stakeholders, community members, and CSU faculty, Extension, and students in co-development of research and education programs to promote sustainable water management for the benefit of Colorado communities. 

Prior to joining the Colorado Water Center, Schlatter facilitated interdisciplinary research teams at the University of Florida Water Institute to address water quality and quantity issues in the southeastern United States and served as associate director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the Sonoran Institute. There, she focused on fostering partnerships across sectors, including federal, state, and local agencies, universities, nonprofits, and communities to restore the Colorado River Delta through collaborative binational water management and ecological restoration. 

Schlatter earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from McGill University and a Master of Science in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.