Karen F. Marlowe is the Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Davis Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. After serving as the Assistant Dean for the Mobile Campus since its inception in 2007, she was selected for the Associate Dean for Academic Programs role beginning July 1, 2022.

Marlowe joined the Harrison College of Pharmacy faculty in the Department of Pharmacy Practice in 2000. Since 2007, she has served as associate department head and assistant dean of the Mobile Campus.

As associate dean for academic programs, Marlowe oversees a broad portfolio that includes recruiting and admissions, student services, curricular planning, academic policies and procedures, student organizations, budgeting and personnel management, among other areas. In addition, she serves as a member of the college’s senior leadership team and advise the dean in all aspects of the day-to-day management of the college.

Marlowe is a 1993 graduate of Auburn, earning a bachelor of science in pharmacy. She remained at the Harrison College of Pharmacy and completed her doctor of pharmacy in 1995. She completed her pharmacy practice residency at Egleston Children's Hospital, now Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. After completing her residency Marlowe initiated a practice in the cardiac intensive care and cardiopulmonary transplant units at Egleston, serving as a pharmacotherapy specialist in pediatric, neonatal, and cardiac intensive care until 2000.

Initially coming to HCOP as an assistant professor, she was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2006 and was named Davis Professor in 2015. She was promoted to associate department head and assistant dean of the Mobile campus in 2007. Since 2019, Marlowe has also served as the founding director of the Auburn University Center for Opioid Research, Education and Outreach.

Dr. Marlowe has been engaged in the design of the HCOP Practice Ready Curriculum. She teaches in the HCOP curriculum in all three years as well as offering two electives focused on end of life and pain management.

As a practitioner, she has served as an adjunct faculty member in the University of South Alabama College of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine since 2000. She is board certified in pharmacotherapy by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties and is credentialed in pain management by the American Academy of Pain Management. She is a certified pain educator and provides care for inpatient internal medicine patients, and maintains a consult service and patient advocacy program for patients with chronic pain or terminal illness.

Her areas of scholarship and research include pain management, ethics and professionalism related to pain management, patient attitudes and success of pain management strategies, patient acceptance of non-medicinal strategies for pain management in combination with their medication, current state of medical education related to pain management and pharmacokinetics.

Professionally, she is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the Alabama Pharmacy association. She has also served as an accreditation site visitor for the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

Practice Site

Dr. Marlowe's practice is based in Mobile, Alabama and is affiliated with the University of South Alabama Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine. She is board certified in Pharmacotherapy by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties. She is the only pharmacist in the state of Alabama credentialed in pain management by the American Academy of Pain Management. Marlowe is also a Certified Pain Educator and provides care for inpatient internal medicine patients, and maintains a consult service and patient advocacy program for patients with chronic pain or terminal illness. She is also serving on a state task force looking at the quality of hospice/palliative care in Alabama.