Silicon Valley Team Feature: Karen Chang Pryor
by Jussara Oliveira Barbosa, MS in Project Management ’25
Karen Chang Pryor is a driving force behind student support and engagement. She serves as the Director of Student Services at Northeastern University Silicon Valley. In this position, she works to create a robust campus experience and support network for students. She assists students in navigating university resources and policies, as well as guiding them on how to get involved and build connections on campus. Prior to Northeastern, she worked at the University of Chicago as the Associate Director for the Center for Leadership and Involvement.
Karen attended the University of Puget Sound for her undergraduate degree, majoring in English Literature and Economics. She later earned a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Pryor has spent nearly 15 years dedicated to student affairs, ensuring that students receive the support they need outside of the classroom. Whether it’s homesickness, the stress of a job search, or even food insecurity or other serious challenges, Karen and her team work to provide a strong safety net for students navigating these challenges. “I love that I get to work so closely with our students,” she shares. “Learning about them and what brought them to our campus always keeps my job interesting.”
Karen’s journey to Northeastern was a full-circle moment. Having grown up in Oakland, she was looking for an opportunity to return home after a decade in Chicago. When she learned about Northeastern’s presence in the Bay Area following the Mills College merger, it immediately sparked her interest. “My mom is a graduate of Mills College, and my parents actually got married there,” she recalls. “That campus has always been near and dear to my heart. When I saw this role open, it felt like fate.”
One of her proudest moments since joining Northeastern was organizing the first Friendsgiving event after the pandemic. With event attendance still recovering, she and the Student Ambassador team worked hard to rebuild a sense of community on campus. “Friendsgiving felt like the culmination of all that hard work,” she says. “We had over 100 students in attendance, faculty and staff brought their families, and we all shared what we felt most grateful for. It was the first glimpse I saw of what our campus could be: A bustling, energetic place for meaningful connection.”
Karen’s passion for student services stems from her own experience as a student leader. Her career path has been shaped by impactful experiences, including an unforgettable role as a House Director in a fraternity house during grad school. “I lived in a house with 50 college-aged men, and it was absolute chaos,” she laughs. “They were constantly breaking things and engaging in risky behavior, but it shaped my emergency response and crisis management skills. More importantly, it taught me that I can meaningfully connect with any student, no matter how different we may be.”
When she’s not supporting students, you can find Karen working toward her 52 books a year reading goal, tending to her numerous houseplants, traveling, and finding the best spot for ice cream wherever she goes. She also enjoys exploring art museums, botanical gardens, and discovering new destinations. Lately, she’s been thinking about picking up sewing as a way to embrace creativity and avoid fast fashion.
Her best piece of career advice? “Rejection is redirection,” she says. “Sometimes we get so obsessed with the one perfect job, and when that doesn’t pan out, it can feel devastating. But when I look back, I realize those moments were important steps leading me to where I am now.”
For students and professionals alike, Karen Chang Pryor embodies the true spirit of student services: transforming challenges into opportunities and always believing in the potential of those she supports.