Sona Karentz Andrews

Dr. Sona Karentz Andrews is a Professor of Geography and Provost Emerita at Portland State University. She grew up in New England and has lived in Portland for ten years. Sona began her college studies at the Nishan Palanjian Armenian College in Beirut, Lebanon and completed her bachelor’s degree in geography from Worcester State College in Massachusetts. Her master’s and Ph.D. are from Arizona State University (also in geography). Sona has held faculty appointments in Geography at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Boise State University, and Portland State University. She has held administrative appointments at a number of the universities, including served as Portland State University’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice Chancellor of the Oregon University System, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Boise State. Sona also serves on the Portland Opera Board. Her previous board service includes Oregon Humanities, Planned Parenthood Willamette Valley, the City Club of Boise, Wisconsin Women in Higher Education Leadership, and the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. Sona is bilingual (she speaks English and Armenian).