karen r. hitchcock (february 10, 1943 – july 10, 2019) was an american biologist and university administrator who had leadership positions at an american and a canadian university. she served as the president of suny's university at albany in albany, new york, from 1996 until her resignation in 2003. she was principal and vice-chancellor of queen's university, in kingston, ontario from 2004 until an abrupt resignation in 2008, when she announced her departure in a sudden email to students. after her sudden departure from queen's university, she returned, with husband murray blair, to the albany, new york, area to live in vischer ferry.