Kara Marquez, Faculty Administrator
Kara, daughters, and photographer husband supporting Stanford athletics!
What I Do
I support Balaji Prabhakar, Mert Pilanci and Ben Van Roy.
Origins
I am from San Mateo and still live there. I lived in San Diego for a short time in 1999 where my now husband was going to school. I joined the EE department in June 2017, coming from the Hoover Institution, where I worked for 15 years. I’m now in my final year of completing my bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Services through the University of Arizona's online program. Before joining Stanford, I held various office positions at a few different companies. Prior to that, I worked as a nanny for twin boys and an 18-month-old, but I soon realized it wasn’t the right career path for me if I wanted to have children of my own someday, so it didn’t last long.
My EExperience
It has been a joy to work in academia and play a role in our students' journeys as they achieve their goals. I appreciate the camaraderie with my colleagues and the strong sense of community we have here at EE. It’s been refreshing to be part of a supportive and collaborative environment where everyone encourages one another. This sense of community and camaraderie has made my experience here even more enjoyable and rewarding.
Outside of Work
We are a Disney family and love vacationing anywhere you can find a hidden Mickey. It's truly our happy place, where we can focus on just the four of us. My personal interests revolve around my two daughters, who are 14 and 10. They keep us busy with their sports and extracurricular activities every weekend. Since life is busy, I really treasure the simpler moments, like shopping trips and coffee or hot chocolate dates with my girls. They’re at such a fun age, and I love spending time with them—whether it’s chatting or just hanging out.
Favorite Spot
My favorite spot on campus is at Maples Pavilion watching a women's volleyball game with my family. My favorite spot off campus is watching the sunset overlooking the ocean in Huntington Beach.
Kara with her older sisters making fountain wishes in cool tennis shoes. (JK about 'older sisters'!)
Family fun at the happiest place on earth!
Dressing up!
At sunset overlooking the ocean in Huntington Beach, the other happiest place on earth.