Karen Mueller, a native of upstate New York, graduated from SUNY Brockport with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. She worked for 17 years in clinical and research labs, beginning at the University of Rochester for 4 years, and continuing for the next 13 years at George Washington University in Washington D.C. as supervisor of the Microbiology Lab for the OB/GYN Department. She spent the next 10 years at home with her husband and 2 sons. With a great appreciation and love for music, she joined the staff of the School of Music in the fall of 2005.