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UD names new School of Education dean

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer Updated 3:19 AM Thursday, December 3, 2009

DAYTON — Kevin R. Kelly pursued an academic leadership position at the University of Dayton in part because of its Catholic Marianist tradition.

“The pursuit of justice, peace and common good on an institutional level, I think, is unique and really very attractive,” Kelly said Wednesday, Dec. 2, the day UD named him dean of its School of Education and Allied Professions.

Kelly most recently served as interim dean of Purdue University’s College of Education. He is expected to begin his new role at UD on May 1, 2010.

“Dr. Kelly impressed the campus community with his range of experience, strategic planning skills, strong record of scholarship and his commitment to advancing the university’s leadership in urban and Catholic education,” said Joseph Saliba, UD provost.

As a faculty member at Purdue, Kelly served as founding director for the counseling psychology doctoral program, which has grown to enroll the largest group of full-time doctoral students in Purdue’s College of Education.

As interim dean, Kelly helped to increase the college’s U.S. News & World Report ranking by 20 points in one year through improvements in research expenditures, student selectivity and peer reputation.

Kelly wants to more fully realize the potential of the UD’s School of Education.

For example, the Dayton Early College Academy, an urban high school operated by the School of Education, could be “a model that other cities and universities can emulate,” he said.

Kelly, 54, is a native of Dedham, Mass. He holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Boston University and a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Iowa.

His wife, Alex Hall, holds a doctorate in counselor education. He has an adult daughter in Chicago and an adult stepson in Indianapolis.

Kelly will succeed Thomas J. Lasley II, who has served as dean since 1998. Lasley will remain with UD as executive director of EDvention and be co-located with a corporate or education partner to be announced soon, according to university officials.

EDvention is a collaborative dedicated to facilitating the growth of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) talent in the Dayton region.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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