Kelly McMahon

Kelly McMahon is the director of research strategy and policy at the Center for Public Research and Leadership at Columbia University, where she oversees research initiatives aimed at improving education policy and practice. She was previously an associate in evidence and analytics at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Her work focuses on system-level reforms that promote continuous improvement in instruction and school quality. Earlier in her career, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University, where she contributed to the COHERE project, examining district-level efforts to align preK–3 mathematics instruction. McMahon earned an MA in education leadership and technology from New York University and a PhD in education policy from the University of Michigan. She also taught at Stuyvesant High School in New York.

updated 2025