The Office of University Strategy & Program Development
About Us
Karen Mulder, Executive Director
Karen Mulder joined Tufts in September 2015 and currently holds dual roles at Tufts – in this Office and as the Executive Associate Dean of University College. In addition to establishing the market research, strategic analysis, and program development functions at the University, Karen played a central role in the acquisition of the SMFA and the creation of University College. Prior to joining Tufts, Karen spent nearly 6 years as a Management Consultant with L.E.K. Consulting, was a Fulbright fellow in Göttingen, Germany, and graduated summa cum laude from Boston College with a B.A. in History. Her senior thesis on contemporary German memory of the Holocaust remains her proudest accomplishment. Karen is currently working on her doctorate through Tufts Interdisciplinary Doctoral program, in which she studies the philosophy, history, and sociology of knowledge production and academic disciplines. When she is not learning everything she can about how a complex, world-class University succeeds, she enjoys spending time with her baby boy Theodor and trying to control the proliferation of books brought on by being married to a PhD in Comparative Literature.
Jean Kim Chin, Director of Strategic Transformation
Jean Kim Chin joined the office as Director of Strategic Transformation in January 2023. Prior to joining Tufts, she spent over ten years doing organizational strategy in various contexts, primarily in the education sector. She began her career as a management consultant to private sector companies and later to K-12 public school districts. She then founded a charter high school and led its growth as its operations and strategy leader. Most recently, she worked at a private foundation, where she was responsible for making strategic philanthropic investments and providing consulting support to education nonprofits, spanning across K-12, higher ed, and adult learning. Jean graduated from Yale University with a degree in Economics & Mathematics. Outside of work, you can find Jean and her husband Matt testing new recipes, hosting friends and family for dinner parties, and trying to keep up with their growing number of houseplants.
Tim Welch, Director of Strategy and Analysis
Tim Welch joined the office in the spring of 2022 as the Director of Strategy and Analysis. Before joining the Tufts team, Tim spent nearly a decade at Deloitte Consulting in the Boston office, the latter half of his tenure focused exclusively on strategy and operational improvement engagements for education clients. Tim’s project work included developing online learning strategies, analyzing university program portfolios, assessing executive office organizational structures, and implementing software solutions to improve operational efficiency. Tim graduated from Bowdoin College with a major in Economics, as well as Yale’s School of Management with his MBA. In his free time, Tim enjoys spending time with his growing family – wife Lindsey, son Brian, and daughter Sophie – rooting on Boston sports teams, and squeezing in workouts whenever he can.
Nick Close, Associate Director of Strategy and Analysis
Nick Close joined the office in January 2023 as the Associate Director of Strategy and Analysis. Before joining Tufts, Nick spent the last decade wearing many hats on strategy, research, and data insights teams, largely in the EdTech sector. Nick's project work focused on increasing equitable access to, and the affordability of, high-quality learning materials for primary and secondary education students and driving effective operational change. Nick graduated magna cum laude from Manhattanville College with B.A.s in Political Science and History and enjoys running marathons, serving on the board of (and playing with!) Boston’s ultimate frisbee organization, and trying not to cheat at crosswords puzzles.
Meredith Lian, Senior Analyst
Meredith Lian joined the office as a Senior Analyst in May 2022. Prior to Tufts, she spent the last two years working as a Research Associate at EAB, an education consulting firm in Washington, D.C. that partners with higher education and K-12 institutions to support enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data & analytics, and more. At EAB, Meredith worked on the Market Insights team conducting strategic, programmatic research in the graduate and adult education space, with a special focus on the UK higher education market. Meredith graduated from the College of William & Mary with a BA in Psychology and attended the University of Edinburgh in Scotland for a semester abroad program. Outside of work, you can find Meredith cooking, reading, hiking, and doing all the above with her two golden retrievers.
Friso Kuiper, Senior Analyst
Friso Kuiper joined Tufts as a Senior Analyst in August 2022. Prior to Tufts, he spent the last 5 years working in non-profit, independent high schools as an analyst where he worked on a variety of projects, including improving workflow processes with an emphasis on data, implementing financial software packages, and modelling large capital projects. Friso received his undergraduate degrees from Nyenrode Business University and the University of Westminster in Business Administration and New Business, respectively. He will also graduate with his MBA from the University of Illinois in December 2022. Outside of work, Friso enjoys the outdoors mountain biking and skiing, and keeps busy as a Field Hockey player and coach.
Contact Us
Other questions or comments? You can contact us at OUSPD@tufts.edu.