Dr. Etain Kiely is a mathematics and statistics lecturer at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway who specialises in data-informed, inclusive mathematics education. She leads innovations in machine learning, learning analytics, and mastery-based assessment to enhance student success, retention, and learner agency. Teaching large first-year STEM cohorts, she develops intelligent feedback and mastery ecosystems and co-leads ATU’s Learning Analytics initiative, applying predictive modelling, explainable AI, and NLP to support self-regulated learning.

She is PI or co-lead on major projects including Learning Analytics for Student Success (TSAF), the QQI-funded REAL Toolkit for intelligent assessment design, and MOCHAS-supported research on self-efficacy and SRL. Her interdisciplinary work extends to AI for diabetes care, with outputs in IEEE and ACM venues. Etain has supervised more than 11 research candidates and co-founded initiatives such as the Global Play2Learn Academy and ATU’s Astronomy Society. She has also led over €600K in funded projects across education and health analytics.

Her practice is grounded in ethical governance, student partnership, and practical impact. She has received the President’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2021), National Teaching Hero Award (2021), and DELTA Award (2022), recognising her commitment to modern, human-centred, technology-enhanced education that bridges traditional university structures and the needs of today’s learners.