Clare Kilbane, Ph.D.

Clare Kilbane serves as the Senior Learning Designer for the McGrath Institute for Church Life. She is also the Director of Research and Development for McGrath's Digital Education, its Catholic Schools Outreach Coordinator, and a faculty member affiliated with the Echo Graduate Service Program.

Clare is from central Ohio, where she grew up as the fourth of eight children. She completed a B.S. in Elementary Education at the University of Dayton and began her career as a teacher and technology coordinator at St. James the Less School.  She later attained a M.A. in Instructional Design and Technology from The Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Evaluation from the University of Virginia.

Before joining the Institute in Fall 2018, Clare was a tenured professor in the Education Department at Otterbein University (2006-2018) where she taught, advised, and mentored pre-service and in-service teachers.  Clare also held appointments on the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2000-2004) and Capital University (summers 2005-2015).

Clare has published widely in the field of education. Her scholarship addresses the use of innovative pedagogies in preparing professionals for business, nursing, and teaching. She is a versatile scholar who has authored many videos and multimedia products, as well as over 30 articles, book chapters, papers, and reviews. The most recent of her seven books include Teaching Models: Designing Instruction for 21st Century Learners (with Natalie Milman, George Washington University) for Allyn & Bacon / Pearson in 2013 and The 4C's: Understanding 21st Century Skills in the Light of Faith for the National Catholic Educational Association in 2018.

Clare particularly enjoys addressing the complex structural challenges in the practical domain of education.  In recent years, she has provided professional development for teachers in over 25 schools on various aspects of contemporary pedagogy, including differentiated instruction, assessment, technology integration, 21st century skills, and digital portfolios.  Additionally, she has been the lead consultant on government funded grants, state-wide curriculum projects, and school district professional development initiatives.  Clare is the Institute’s liaison to the National Catholic Educational Association and is developing several projects that support Catholic school educators as they strive to teach the Catholic faith and academic subjects inclusively.

Clare enjoys visiting the Great Lakes, touring religious sites, attending Irish cultural events, gluten-free baking, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and Glen of Imaal Terriers. She lives in South Bend, Indiana.

Curriculum Vitae