Kara McWilliams

Kara McWilliams has a diverse work experience in the education industry. Kara has held various leadership roles at different organizations. Starting from their most recent position, they are currently the Vice President of Product Innovation and Development & the AI Labs at ETS, where they lead a global team responsible for creating AI-enabled learning and assessment solutions. Prior to this, they worked as the Associate Vice President of ETS AI Labs, where they implemented innovation frameworks and led the organization towards becoming a product-focused company. Kara has also served as a Director on the Board of Directors at Edusoft Ltd., offering guidance in research-based product development. At Macmillan Learning, they held the position of Vice President of Learning Science and Insights, where they contributed to the product strategy and led teams to ensure the effective design and development of digital learning products. Earlier in their career, they worked at Pearson as the Director of Product Impact Evaluations, assessing the impact of online programs and managed services. Kara also worked at The College Board as an Associate Research Scientist, conducting research on educational issues, and at Kids Included Together as the Head of Research and Evaluation, overseeing the establishment and development of a research department. Finally, they started their career at Boston College as an Assistant Research Scientist, conducting research and evaluation of teacher professional development programs.

Kara McWilliams holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Educational Research Measurement and Evaluation from Boston College, which was obtained in the years 2005 to 2010. Kara also has a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College, earned between 2004 and 2005. Prior to that, they obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in History and Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross between 2000 and 2004. More recently, they have pursued executive education at Kellogg, earning a certificate in Product Strategy, and another certificate in AI Applications for Growth.