Bringing 25 years of experience in adult-learner-centered design, academic affairs, partnership-building, program design, and quantitative data-driven assessment, Dr. Kara Van Dam serves as the vice president and chief executive of GVSU Omni at Grand Valley State University. In this role, she champions learners across the state of Michigan, particularly those who have been historically underserved by higher education. She partners with industry to drive economic growth through talent development. She is committed to ensuring students’ lived experiences are honored, and academic pathways and co-curricular scaffolds at both the undergraduate and graduate level support their personal and professional aspirations. Previously, Van Dam held numerous leadership roles at the University of Maryland Global Campus. In all her roles, she has led large-scale initiatives aimed at improving the institution’s ability to help students develop as competent and confident people and professionals, while also providing a rewarding work environment for faculty and staff. Van Dam earned both a doctorate and master’s degree in linguistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in business administration from Kaplan University, and a bachelor’s in French and linguistics from the University of Michigan.