Karen Stanwood: Staying Curious and Taking Chances

Abstract

Karen Stanwood understands the value of mentorship and professional development. Whether it’s navigating the twisty world of scientific publishing or lying on a bed of nails (keep reading), being curious and taking risks is much easier when you have a steady, experienced hand to guide you. As Director of Electronic Publishing and Production at SLACK Incorporated, a publisher of health care books and journals in the Wyanoke Group along with Healio and Vindico Medical Education, Karen has weathered many industry changes. In this interview, we discuss those changes, the value of professional development, and the importance of organizations like CSE. Science Editor: How did you get started with scientific editing and publishing? Karen Stanwood: Like a lot of people, I kind of stumbled into it. When I first went to college, I thought I wanted to be a psychologist. I liked talking to people and helping them. My first course, though, was a research course and I was like, “No, thank you.” That wasn’t what I wanted to do. I wanted to talk to people and help them with their problems. I transferred to what was then Glassboro State College, which then became Rowan University of New Jersey (the Rowan gift came while I was there). My father had been a teacher, so I was looking to go into teaching. I graduated with a dual major in elementary education and English, and I tried for a little while to get a teaching job. Not that I didn’t like it, but […]