Karen Silveira joined the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) in March of 2026 as the Web and Digital Content Assistant. She provides web content support and digital strategy for CGE.

After obtaining her BS in Dietetics at Virginia Tech, Karen went to VCU for a BS in nursing and then Georgetown University for a Master of Science in Nursing. Karen brings her unique life experiences to this new position. Upon graduation from Georgetown, she spent 10 years working in the inner city of Washington DC as a Certified Nurse Midwife. She moved to Harrisonburg in 2015 and taught in the JMU Nursing department for 2 years before returning to practice for a short period before COVID. During COVID she transitioned to being a stay-at-home mom and then started her own boutique interior design business, Joyfull Homes & Co. Through the process of starting her own business and running her own social media, Karen came to love web design and the importance of aesthetics to the client experience.

Karen is excited to work within CGE and the JMU global community supporting communications and making web design more exciting for all users. Karen strongly believes in the power of study abroad and knows firsthand how it can shape students’ lives after studying abroad herself in Spain while at Virginia Tech as part of her undergraduate degree program.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 daughters, home renovations, reading, period dramas, and laughing with her family and friends. Karen loves to travel! She’s been to 30+ states, most of Western Europe, Mexico, Canada, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina. Her bucket list travels include anywhere in Asia, Morocco and New Zealand.