Kara Amana

Biography

When I first began planning out my career trajectory, I had my sights set on teaching students from the front of a classroom. A teacher by training, I thrive when leading, supporting others, and building connections. At the same time, I was always drawn to the role technology plays in the education sector and fascinated by how mission-driven leaders can come together to use technology to create impactful learning environments. The intersection between teaching and technology is where I have found my professional home.

Currently, I am the Associate Director, Technology, MBA Registrar Services with the Harvard Business School MBA Department and I bring to this role experience at Tufts University, Regis College, and NERCOMP (NorthEast Regional Computing Program). Throughout my career, I have been recognized as an IT leader with a strong focus on service management, communications, and client relations. My experience stretches across the full-service lifecycle beginning with product discovery, evaluation, and selection carrying through to implementation, operation, and continual service improvement. Key to my success in this work is a recognized ability to align individuals across departments toward a common deliverable and drive optimal decisions.

In addition to my work in IT project management and stakeholder engagement, I have also welcomed the opportunity to use my teaching skills in a new way. As a facilitator within the Harvard IT Academy, I train groups of IT professionals across the university on user-focused service delivery, employing a service mindset, and becoming a trusted advisor. I’m also a regular presenter at NERCOMP events. Coaching, training, and mentoring both as a manager and as a group facilitator connects the professional dots for me and I’m passionate about making an impact through this work.

EDUCAUSE Presentations