Carissa Little

Carissa Little is the Associate Dean of Global and Online Education in Stanford's School of Engineering and Executive Director of Stanford Online, where she has pioneered accessible education pathways for nearly 25 years. As a key architect of the Stanford Credential Framework, she focuses on dismantling the "diploma ceiling" for working learners and preparing the workforce for AI-driven transformation through stackable credentials and personalized learning. Little oversees Stanford Online, which launched in 1996 as one of the nation's first internet-based learning platforms. She has scaled these initiatives to reach more than 22 million learners globally. Currently, her organization is developing AI-powered and immersive learning technologies for Stanford faculty-taught online programs to advance personalized education at scale. Little serves as an advisor to major education platforms including Coursera, edX, and 2U, and contributes to national conversations on credential innovation through her work with UPCEA.