Dr. Karen Mock was born and raised in Toronto. She was educated at the University of Toronto, earning her Ph.D. in Applied Psychology in 1975. Dr. Mock is a certified teacher and educational psychologist, specializing in human rights, hate crime and diversity issues, widely acknowledged as one of the foremost Canadian authorities on multicultural/anti-racist education, and well known as a dynamic lecturer and workshop coordinator.
In 2001 Karen Mock was appointed Executive Director and CEO of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, a federal crown corporation. Prior to her 4 years with the CRRF, she served 12 years as National Director of the League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada. Dr. Mock had also worked for over twenty years in psychology and teacher education at the University of Toronto, Ryerson Polytechnical University and York University, teaching courses in multiculturalism and race relations, developmental and educational psychology, and psychological testing and assessment. Considered a pioneer in the field, she was responsible for the first course in multicultural teacher education in Canada.
Dr. Mock has conducted research and published widely on multicultural anti-racist resources for students, the effective accessing of the education system and government services by ethnocultural and racial groups, and on countering racism, antisemitism and hate in Canada. She has written courses and manuals for intercultural and race relations training and taking action against hate, and was the principal advisor to the Western Judicial Education Centre, continuing to works with policing services and members of the judiciary on programs relevant to racism in the criminal justice system and on hate/bias crime. She has been qualified by the Canadian courts and Human Rights Tribunals as an expert on hate groups, hate on the internet, racism, discrimination and antisemitism.