Alumni & Parent Programs

Karen Klink Marshall '66

Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award, 1999

Karen Klink Marshall has worked in public affairs for Monsanto Company (St. Louis, MO) since 1992, when she joined the company to provide public relations strategy for products of biotechnology, especially Roundup Ready® soybeans and canola.  Today she has worldwide responsibility for public relations support for the Monsanto Global Seed Group and for issues related to technology under development by the company.  She also works broadly with food issues associated with genetically modified plants.

 Before joining Monsanto, Karen was vice president of the international public affairs agency, Hill and Knowlton, where she specialized in food and agriculture, both for marketing communications and issues management.  She began her professional career as a newspaper reporter, first in Indiana and then in Missouri, filling a variety of assignments from news reporter to food editor to feature writer and columnist.

 A 1966 graduate of Butler, Karen grew up on a farm in Wolcott, Ind.  While at Butler, her dedication to service was firmly established:  she acted as editor of the Collegian, was a member of Delta Gamma sorority, serving as president, first vice president and panhellenic delegate, chorale, student government and served as president of Theta Sigma Phi.  She was honored as an Outstanding Student and as a member of the Homecoming court.  Her loyalty to Butler and leadership remain strong.  She served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1983-1989 and acted as the vice chair for the Partnership for Excellence Alumni Campaign.  She received Butler University's first Public Relations Career Award in 1992.

 Karen is active in a variety of local and national professional and philanthropic organizations and is a frequent speaker at food, biotechnology and agricultural meetings.  She is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of American (PRSA) and is a former president of PRSA's St. Louis chapter.  She and her husband, Jerry, live in St. Louis.

 Updated 1999