Kára McCullough won the title at the 2017 Miss USA Pageant and she will be competing in the Miss Universe pageant this year. She represents the District of Columbia, as did the previous winner, U.S. Army Reserves captain Deshauna Barber. Fifty-one women of varying backgrounds, careers and hobbies competed in the competition.

McCullough was born in Naples, Italy and raised in Virginia. She attended South Carolina State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. She is a physical scientist who works at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which focuses on public health and safety related to nuclear energy.

McCullough currently has an outreach program called Science Exploration for Kids (SE4K). This program focuses on science activities for children grades 6-11. With this program, she visits schools and rec centers to conduct science projects. McCullough is heavily focused on education for children.

She stated that winning the Miss USA title allowed her to be a prominent figure in the STEM field for not only children and students, but for all women as well. She hopes to motivate more women to work in the currently male-dominated science field.

Details of the next Miss Universe competition have yet to be announced. The competition will take place during the last week of November, yet the location is currently being decided. More information regarding the event will be periodically released as the 2017 competition draws closer.