Karen Ernst is a Professor in the Art Department at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where she has been teaching woodworking and furniture design since 2004. Originally from East Aurora, NY, she received a B.A. in Studio Art from SUNY Geneseo, and her M.F.A in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. She maintains an active studio practice, exhibiting the furniture and sculptural objects she makes across the U.S. She is currently the Vice President of the Furniture Society.