Karen Alexander Email and Phone Number

Karen Alexander, PhD, dove headfirst into the XR technology field in 2016 after a career in higher education. Her work in XR includes producing 360-degree videos; teaching children and youth to create with XR tools; advising companies and higher ed institutions on XR adoption and implementation; developing business processes for XR startups; guiding compliance efforts for XR startups, including for SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification; and leading projects to create immersive experiences for enterprise companies, including for training and learning. Dr. Alexander is also a community builder who believes that we have a unique opportunity in XR to build an ecosystem where anyone can thrive. In service of this belief, in November 2020 she co-founded XR Women, a global community that serves as a catalyst for the success of women in the field. Under her leadership, XR Women has grown to 1,100 members from more than 60 countries around the world and has produced nearly 200 events in virtual worlds featuring women in XR. She is Executive Director and Co-founding Board Member of the Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to Educate XR professionals and the general public about the technology and best practices, Inspire creation and innovation in the field, and Recognize achievements and accomplishments in immersive media. Dr. Alexander is a member of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN), having served on the expert panel for iLRN’s State of XR and Immersive Learning Report since 2020, and is an inaugural member of the iLRN Circle of Scholars. She is an expert advisor for the BFI Vienna University of Applied Sciences Virtual Worlds in Higher Education (VIWO) Project. Dr. Alexander curated and hosted the day-long WebXR Education Summit, featuring 54 academic and XR industry experts and with more than 550 registrants, on July 21, 2022. She has given dozens of talks on XR technologies and their applications across education and industry.As part of the Virtual Dance Exchange Project, in 2021 Dr. Alexander helped 3 choreographers conceptualize dance for 360-degree video and subsequently film site-specific 360 performances in the Pittsburgh area. Dr. Alexander earned her PhD in English Literature from University College London and holds Master’s Degrees in English, Philosophy, and Issues in Modern Culture. She earned a Certification in Cybersecurity from ISC2 in December 2023 and a Specialization in AI for Business from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania on Coursera, in May 2024.