Karen I. Matthews, PhD MBA

Dr. Karen Matthews is a distinguished leader in emerging technologies and innovation, with over 25 years
of experience spanning the Department of Defense (DoD), academia, and industry. She is a DoD member
and a Supply Chain and Emerging Technologies professor at the Haslam College of Business, University of
Tennessee, Knoxville.

Dr. Matthews holds MEng and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering, as well as an MBA, all from Cornell
University. Her multidisciplinary expertise in engineering and business management has fueled a career dedicated
to bridging the gap between emerging technologies and real-world applications.

As a Recanati-Kaplan (RK) Fellow at Harvard University, she focused on Agile AI Partnerships for national
security and competitive innovation. Her research introduces the FLEX (Flexible Lifecycle Execution) framework,
a groundbreaking approach to AI adoption and implementation that integrates technical, operational,
and policy/legal dimensions while embedding cross-cutting themes—Data, Models, Metrics, Visibility,
Security, and Compliance—throughout the AI lifecycle. Complementing FLEX is SMART (Systematic Mapping
and Reuse Toolkit), a novel methodology that enhances efficiency by enabling the reuse of testing outcomes
across similar use cases, reducing redundancy, and accelerating AI deployment. Together, FLEX and SMART
ensure AI adoption is both strategic and operationally effective, aligning with national security imperatives
while maintaining a technological edge over adversaries.

Before her Harvard fellowship, Dr. Matthews played a pivotal role in Technology Adoption within the DoD,
spearheading efforts to transition innovative AI and emerging technology concepts into mission-critical
capabilities. Her work at the intersection of policy, governance, and technological innovation has positioned
her as a key strategist in AI implementation for national security.

In the private sector, she has led cutting-edge R&D, agile innovation initiatives, and end-to-end technology
commercialization, providing her with deep insights into the entire technology lifecycle—from concept and
development to deployment and operational impact.

Through her research, leadership, and advisory roles, Dr. Matthews continues to shape the future of AI and
emerging technology adoption, fostering a new generation of leaders adept at navigating the complex intersection
of technology, policy, and governance.