Karen Tao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah. Karen’s research interests are guided by an overarching goal to reduce disparities in the access, service, and quality of clinical services and education for historically marginalized groups. She is interested in the questions, “How do people negotiate conversations about difference and culture?” and “Why does multicultural competence matter?”  Karen conducts research in mental health and school settings, utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods to identify cultural factors related to client improvement and student academic experiences.