Keynote Session | Maryland Student Affairs Conference

How did we get here? Using creativity, innovation, and our why to move forward.

As we gather under the theme “Resilience in a Changing World,” our keynote sets the stage for dialogue rooted in purpose, adaptability, and hope. Featuring Dr. Bridget Turner Kelly and Dr. Robert Kelly, this plenary moment invites attendees to reflect on the forces shaping higher education today and the creative leadership needed for what lies ahead. Their combined experience across research, teaching, and institutional leadership offers a powerful lens through which to explore resilience as both a personal and professional practice.

The talk will invite conference goers into an interactive conversation of how the presenters got to the positions they hold in student affairs, how student affairs as a field got to where it is in this socio-political landscape, and then share how utilizing lessons from the presenter's forthcoming NASPA Book entitled, Beyond Disruption: Building Creative and Innovative Campuses as well as remembering and anchoring in why we do the work of student affairs will propel us and the field forward.

Dr. Bridget Turner Kelly and Dr. Robert Kelly

About Our Speakers

Bridget Turner Kelly, Ph.D Bio:

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 institutional transformation for equity, gender liberation, and emancipatory and innovative methods. She has authored over 45 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 (Routledge) and Black Women Navigating the Doctoral Journey: Student Peer Support, Mentorship and Success in the Academy (Routledge).

Robert D. Kelly, Ph.D. Bio:

Robert D. Kelly, PhD, became the 21st President of the University of Portland on July 1, 2022. He is the first layperson to lead the University, a Roman Catholic, Holy Cross institution founded in 1901. As President, he has guided the University through a period of significant innovation, launched the institution’s new strategic plan, announced the creation of new academic programs, expanded UP’s footprint in the City of Portland, overseen the University’s first-ever #1 US News & World Report ranking, and deepened its focus on student success. Prior to joining UP, Dr. Kelly served as Vice President, Special Assistant to the President, and Clinical Professor at Loyola University Maryland, with responsibility for mission and identity, intercollegiate athletics, student development, emergency management, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and more. He has held senior administrative and teaching positions at Loyola University Chicago and Seattle University, among other institutions. Dr. Kelly holds a PhD in Education Policy, Planning and Administration from the University of Maryland; a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont; and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Loyola University Maryland. He serves as Chair of the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities, and on the boards of the University of St. Thomas, the Catholic Schools Endowment Foundation of Oregon, and Catlin Gabel School. Dr. Kelly and his wife, Dr. Bridget Turner Kelly, are the parents of two children.