Karen Oehme

As a researcher at Florida State University since 1998, Karen has been the director of the FSU Institute for Trauma & Resilience Studies (formerly the Institute for Family Violence Studies) since 2007. In 2011, she was named an FSU Distinguished University Scholar. 

Oehme’s research and development team builds large-scale projects and specializes in interactive, web-based learning to promote research-based knowledge on crucial subjects. The team's research interests all intersect with themes of trauma and resilience. Thousands of professionals in child protection, law enforcement, human services and the court system have been learners in ITRS curricula on FSU Learn. Karen's team has been awarded multiple times by Florida TaxWatch for saving taxpayer funds with innovative projects. Additionally, The FSU Student Resilience Project created by ITRS was awarded the 2019 John L. Blackburn Award for Solutions to Campus Problems by the American Association of University Administrators. Oehme's scholarly work has been published in many journals, including the Harvard Journal of Law and Gender, Stanford Law and Policy Review, Innovative Higher Education, and the Journal of American College Health.

Oehme received her law degree from Florida State University in 1987. She was formerly a staff attorney at Legal Services of North Florida and the Guardian ad Litem Program of the Second Judicial Circuit. She is a member of the Florida Bar and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.

Download Full Curriculum Vitae

AREAS OF FOCUS

• Trauma and Resilience across the Lifespan
• Family Law and Social Work
• Domestic Violence
• Child Welfare
• College Student Wellbeing
• Law enforcement officer-involved domestic violence

EDUCATION

• JD, 1987, Florida State University
• BA, 1983, Florida Atlantic University; Communication

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=TtLFjw8AAAAJ&hl=en  

NOTABLE AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS

John L. Blackburn Award for Solutions to Campus Problems, American Association of University Administrators (2019).

Member, Florida Supreme Court Steering Committee on Families and Children in the Court (2024-2026)

Steering Committee Chair: Academic Resilience Consortium (2020-2022)

Member, Florida Attorney General Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee (2012- present)

Florida TaxWatch Recognition 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2022

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Hendrickse, J., Ray, E., Arpan, L., Perko, A., Bradley, L., Oehme, K., & Clark, J. (2023). Well-Being on Campus: Testing the Impact of a Web-Based Intervention for Resilience on First-Year Students. Southern Communication Journal. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/1041794X.2023.2250323

Ray, E. C., Oehme, K., Perko, A., Arpan, L., Clark, J., & Bradley, L. (2021). Freshmen anxiety and COVID-19: Practical implications from an online intervention for supporting students affected by health inequities. Journal of American College Health, 71, 2234-2243. doi:10.1080/07448481.2021.1965610

Ray, E. C., Oehme, K., Perko, A., Arpan, L., Clark, J., & Bradley, L. (2021). Freshmen Anxiety and COVID-19: Practical Implications from an Online Intervention for Supporting Students Affected by Health Inequities. Journal of American College Health, 1-10. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1965610

Prost, S. G., Saunders, D., & Oehme, K. (2020). Childhood family violence and officer responses to officer-involved domestic violence: Effects of cumulative and resolve trauma. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 1-14.doi:10.1177/1461355720907641

Oehme, K., O'Rourke, K., & Bradley, L. (2020). Online virtual supervised visitation during COVID-19 pandemic: One state's experience. Family Court Review, 59, 131-143.Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12555

Ray, E. C., Arpan, L., Oehme, K., Perko, A., & Clark, J. (2020). Examining the implementation of a universal approach to student resilience. Journal of Higher Education Management, 35, 4-15.

Ferraro, A., Oehme, K., Waldick, I., & Stern, N. (2020). Improving court-mandated divorce education by recognizing the effects of parents' childhood trauma. Pace Law Review, 40,273-308. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/plr/vol40/iss1/6

Perko, A., & Oehme, K. (2019). Officers' childhood trauma histories: Understanding the impact, and opportunities for resilience. In Leonard D. Sewell (Ed.), Stress Management in Law Enforcement, 4th Edition. North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press.

Oehme, K., & Prost, S. (2016). Preventing officer-involved domestic violence: Leadership challenges and opportunities. In R.J. Burke (Ed.), Stress in Policing: Sources Consequences and Interventions. Gower Publishers: UK.

SELECTED GRANTS

Florida Department of Children and Families, $150,000 for the Clearinghouse on Supervised Visitation (2020-2025)

Office of the State Court Administrator, $75,000 for Advanced Domestic Violence Studies for Judges (2020)

Florida Institute of Child Welfare, $988,000 for Strength, Trauma, and Resilience Training: Advanced Certification (2021-2024)

Office of the State Courts Administrator, $315,000 Advanced Domestic Violence Training for Judges (2022-2023)