College of Engineering News Room
Karen Romas Joins College of Engineering Development Team
By Brad Stager
A long-standing appreciation for engineering is a big reason that Karen Romas is the new Director of Development for the College of Engineering.
The enthusiasm Romas has for engineering goes beyond her professional background, which includes recently serving as Director of Advancement for the College of Aeronautics & Engineering at Kent State University, and before that as Director of Development at the University of Akron’s College of Engineering. Romas says discovering how things work is a favorite activity.
“I have always been fascinated and impressed with how engineering impacts, changes and moves the world forward,” says Romas, who earned her master of arts in higher education administration and bachelor of arts in business and organizational communication at the University of Akron.
“I’m a very inquisitive person. I used to take things apart when I was young to see how they worked. Sometimes I was able to put them back together. My mother had a lot of patience, just not a functioning vacuum cleaner.”
Today, her recreational engineering interest revolves around cars.
“I like to joke that I love both classes of cars, classic and supercar,” says Romas, who acquired her first car, a 1966 Plymouth Barracuda, before she got her driving license. She has since owned other mid-20th Century classic cars such as a 1957 Ford Thunderbird and 1957 pink Chevy station wagon. Romas also appreciates 21st Century automotive performance.
“If I win the Florida Lottery, my first purchase would be a 2020 Honda NSX in Indy Yellow Pearl. The NSX is a true marvel of engineering.”
Working in mechanical engineering was an option Romas considered at one time, but she has other interests and talents she wanted to include in her professional career.
“I found that I really like talking to people and learning their stories, and I thought that would suit me better than working in a lab on a project,” says Romas, an Ohio native who lived in Naples, Florida while growing up and also worked at Berkeley Prep in Tampa after receiving her BA, before moving back to Ohio for 14 years.
“Working at an engineering college is perfect for me because I get to go into the lab and talk to the faculty, see what they are doing. It interests me so much and satisfies that curious part of me of how things work.”
The closure of the USF campus means Romas began her new position working remotely, a situation that existed in her previous job at Kent State before leaving. She says staying informed about the work continuing at the College of Engineering is keeping her busy.
“For instance, the college’s Mini-Circuits Design for X Laboratory developed an assembly line to produce face shields for medical personnel at Tampa General Hospital. They can make a face shield in less than a minute, for under a dollar.”
Romas adds that meeting the college’s faculty and touring the labs and facilities will be a part of her routine when the campus is open again.
“Then I will reach out to the college’s fantastic alumni and friends to see if I can make some exciting matches that help the college while meeting our donor’s philanthropic goals.”
If you would like to contact Karen, she can be reached by phone at 813-974-5454 or email her.