Our Team

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Karen Ray

EWD Project Engineer

Karen joined NCDMM in 2024 as the Education and Workforce Development Project Engineer for America Makes with a focus on accelerating the additive manufacturing workforce through awareness, engagement, and education.

Before joining NCDMM, Karen worked as a substitute teacher and career coach in the Madison School District in Alabama. There, she provided technical and STEM-related career coaching and guidance for high school students and led the district’s public relations initiatives to improve student awareness and recruitment.

Throughout her 15-year career, Karen has demonstrated workforce and education programming expertise, collaborating with universities, non-profit organizations, government, and curriculum development to support emerging talent working with unserved student populations. She has used her business and administrative skills to create end-to-end strategies for job training, industry analysis, student retention, and beyond.

Karen holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Mississippi, a master’s in Project Management from the University of North Alabama, a master’s in Micro-Credentials, Leadership, and Instructional Technology and Design, and a bachelor’s in General Studies from the University of Mississippi.