Karan L. Watson, regents professor for the department, associate provost and dean of faculties at Texas A&M, joined the department in 1983. She received her BSEE (1977), MSEE (1981) and Ph.D (1982), all in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University.

Honors include having received the U.S. President's Award for Mentoring Minorities and Women in Science and Technology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mentoring Award, the IEEE International Undergraduate Teaching Award, the TAMU Association of Former Students University Award for Student Relationships, the TAMU Provost's Award for Diversity, the TAMU Women's Week Award for Administrators, the College of Engineering Crawford Teaching Award and being named a TAMU Regents Professor. In November 2005 she was named the interim vice president and associate provost of diversity at Texas A&M.

Watson's research interests are in computer engineering, real-time control systems and engineering education. She is a fellow of IEEE and a member of ASEE, HKN and WEPAN.

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