Bernadette Adams
Science · Technology · Public Policy

Bernadette
Adams

Federal policy leader with a career translating technological advances into national policy, strategy, and action.

Bernadette Adams

About

Bernadette Adams has built her career at the forefront of technology and public policy, developing and implementing federal policies and national initiatives in response to technological change. Her work has spanned emerging technologies, STEM and innovation, research and evidence, and the complex policy and implementation challenges that arise as new technologies move from possibility to practice.

Most recently, as a Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, Bernadette initiated and led the Department’s AI workstream beginning in 2020, well before generative AI brought artificial intelligence to the center of public debate. She led the development of national policy, guidance, and practical resources to help education leaders, technology developers, and policymakers navigate the opportunities and risks of AI and support its safe, effective, and responsible use.

Bernadette brings a distinctive ability to make sense of complex and rapidly evolving technologies and translate them into strategies that people and institutions can act on. She combines policy leadership, scientific and technical understanding, research and evidence, and experience working across both the public and private sectors. Her collaborative approach brings together diverse and divergent perspectives, builds common ground, and turns complex challenges into collective action, positioning her to help tackle the next generation of challenges at the intersection of science, technology, innovation, and public policy.

Public Service

U.S. Department of Education

Senior Policy Advisor

Led national policy and strategic initiatives at the intersection of education and emerging technology, focusing on artificial intelligence, STEM innovation, edtech, and research. Developed and implemented high-impact frameworks that shaped federal guidance, advanced responsible AI governance, and improved digital learning nationwide.

Executive Office of the President

White House Leadership Program

Led interagency initiatives under the White House National Science and Technology Council STEM Education Cross-Agency Priority Goal to expand high-quality instruction and career readiness, while providing subject-matter expertise on government-wide innovation, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship projects.

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Policy Advisor · Official Detail

Modernized enterprise training infrastructure by advising leaders on digital learning strategies and integrating private-sector innovations into cross-agency frameworks for the Presidential Task Force on Federal Training Technology.

Office of the Vice President

Reinvention Assistant · Official Detail

Supported nationwide stakeholder engagement and developed core facilitation materials that drove community participation in a national lifelong learning and skills summit, directly advancing workforce development initiatives to use technology to improve training opportunities.

Select Advisory Roles

White House National Science and Technology Council

Subcommittee on Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

U.S. Department of Education Representative

White House National Science and Technology Council

Computational Thinking Interagency Working Group

U.S. Department of Education Representative

Federal STEM Strategic Planning

America’s Strategy for STEM Education

Strategic Plan Writing Team

EDSAFE AI Alliance

Artificial Intelligence in Education

Advisory Panel Member

UNESCO

UNESCO Gateways Initiative

Formal U.S. Department of Education Appointment

APEC

Advancing AI Innovation and Leadership in Education Across APEC Economies

Formal U.S. Department of Education Appointment

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society

Artificial Intelligence Roundtables

Expert Panelist / Contributor

18F

Cross-Agency Digital Services Consultancy

Technical Consultant / Subject-Matter Expert

Select Public Record

A chronological record of substantive federal policy, research, evaluation, guidance, and technical-review work.

Education

University of California, BerkeleyM.A., Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology
University of California, San DiegoB.S., Biochemistry and Cell Biology

Also Known Professionally As

Bernadette Adams is the primary professional name used publicly. Her current full name is Bernadette Reverie Adams.

She began her U.S. Department of Education career as Bernadette Adams Yates. Earlier federal publications and public records may also appear as Bernadette Adams-Yates or Suzanne Bernadette Adams Yates. These names refer to the same person.