Karen Shuman was born in
Fort Wayne, Indiana, the daughter of a
United States Marine Corps serviceman. She was educated in
Falls Church, Virginia,
Jakarta, Indonesia, and a Catholic high school in
Alexandria, Virginia. She received her bachelor's degree from the
Catholic University of America, and a master's degree from the
University of Virginia. She worked as a middle school mathematics teacher in
McLean, Virginia "for nearly 40 years", known as "Ms. Mikey" to her students. She chaired the upper school mathematics department at The Langley School, a private school in McLean. She also held an adjunct professorship at
George Mason University, served on the board of
Mathcounts, was a member of the National Commission on Mathematics Instruction of the
National Research Council, served as an editor for the
Mathematical Association of America journal
Convergence, and co-directed a
National Science Foundation project, "Historical Modules for the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics". Her students at The Langley School included Nathan Curtis, who went on to receive silver and gold medals in the 1996 and 1997
International Mathematical Olympiad and who credited Michalowicz with sparking his interest in mathematics. ==Personal life==