Kara Palmer

Kara Palmer is the Senior Director of Student and Academic Affairs at the Mendoza College of Business. In this role, Palmer is responsible for the strategy and oversight of the student experience team including the experiential learning, academic operations, program management, and graduate student services teams. Palmer began her career at Notre Dame in 2008 and formerly held positions in the Office of Human Resources, participated in the University's elite Leadership Rotation Program, and served as the Senior Director of Administration and Program Management in Mendoza prior to this appointment.

Palmer earned her Executive MBA from Notre Dame in 2023 and her B.S. in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Purdue University. She formerly held the positions of both Treasurer and President of Thrive! Inspiring Women, the University's largest Employee Resource Group on campus. She was recognized as the 2021 Mentor of the Year by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), holds her coaching certificate, and is Six Sigma Green Belt Certified.