Dr. Kelly is Associate Professor in the Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy Program in the College of Education at the University of Maryland. She earned her master’s and PhD degrees in Social Foundations of Education also from the University of Maryland. Her research interests are examining university campus cultures for racial, gender, and educational equity. Her scholarship focuses on documenting the journeys of women and People of Color in historically White research institutions, preparing equitable educators, and fostering intergroup dialogue. She has authored over 40 publications, including, two articles that have been cited in AMICUS briefs for U.S. Supreme Court cases. Dr. Kelly is an award-winning teacher of intergroup dialogue and presents nationally on the topic. She served on the editorial board of the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education and as Executive Editor for the Journal of Student Affairs, Research and Practice. Dr. Kelly is co-editor of Building Mentorship Networks to Support Black Women: A Guide to Succeeding in the Academy (2022, Routledge) and Black Women Navigating the Doctoral Journey: Student Peer Support, Mentorship and Success in the Academy (2024).
2022 Research Award from the University of Maryland Alumni Association
2022 Pillar of the Profession from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)
2021 Excellence in Service Award, received from the College of Education, University of Maryland
2021 Excellence in Service Award for Outstanding Faculty Member, awarded by the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education, University of Maryland, for making outstanding contributions to the academic excellence and lives of multi-ethnic students.
2020 Innovative Teaching Grant: The Words of Engagement Intergroup Dialogue Program: Innovative Virtual Classrooms, Co-PIsubmitted grant, University of Maryland, ($20,000)
Reavis, T., Winkle-Wagner, R., Kelly, B.T., Luedke, C. & McCallum, C. (2022). Letter to my sisters: Advice from Black women alumnae about how to thrive and survive in college. Teachers College Record.
Kelly, B. T.^*, Castillo-Montoya, M., Varghese, R. & Zúñiga, X. (2022). Braids and bridges: A critical collaborative autoethnography of racially minoritized women teaching intergroup dialogue. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000374
Phelps-Ward, R.^*, Latz, A., Kelly, B.T., & Kortegast, C. (2021). Re-examining and reimagining power in participatory visual methodologies: A collaborative autoethnography. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education.
Kortegast, C. ^*, Kelly, B.T., Latz, A., Phelps-Ward, R., Harry, D., Henehan, M., Garcia, L., & Labatte, J. (2020). More than a picture: Leveraging visuals in advocacy and outreach in higher education. About Campus.
Kelly, B.T.^*, Gardner, P.#, Stone, J.#, Hixson, A.#, & Dissassa, D.# (2019). Hidden in plain sight: Uncovering the emotional labor of Black women students at historically white colleges and universities. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000161
Kelly, B.T.^*, Raines, A.#, Brown, R.#, French, A.# & Stone, J.# (2019). Critical validation: Black women’s retention at predominantly White institutions. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025119841030
Kelly, B.T.^* & McCann, K. (2019). Women faculty on the tenure track: The compounding role of being the breadwinner. Journal of the Professoriate, 10(1), 73-109.
Kortegast, C.^*, McCann, K.#, Branch, K., Latz, A., Kelly, B.T., & Linder, C. (2019). Enhancing ways of knowing: The case for utilizing participated-generated visual methods in higher education research. Review of Higher Education, 42(3) 485-510.
2021 Co-Principal Investigator, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant Title- Postsecondary System Opportunities- Evidence and
Strategic Analysis. Sharon Fries-Britt (PI) ($609, 741 over 18 months. Grant is funded).
EDCP 741: Multicultural Practice in Student Affairs: Self, Education, & Society
EDCP 610: College Student Affairs
EDCP 772: Dissertation Proposal Writing Seminar