Brendan Kelly, Ph.D., became the third president of the Arkansas State University System in 2024 and leads a collaborative, responsive, student-centered culture of innovation and continuous improvement at its seven institutions.
Experience
Dr. Kelly – who was selected by the Board of Trustees on June 5, 2024, and began his duties on Sept. 23, 2024 – has initiated a strategic planning process with the goal of making the ASU System more nimble and responsive to the talent needs of employers while shaping education around equipping students with the long-term problem-solving and learning capabilities.
The Flint, Mich., native served as president of the University of West Georgia from 2020-2024 prior to joining the ASU System. During his tenure, UWG completed a move in intercollegiate athletics from the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference to the Division I Atlantic Sun Conference.
He was chancellor at the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg and Greenville from 2017-2020 and was appointed as interim president of the University of South Carolina in 2019. He was vice president of university advancement and president of the UWF Foundation, Inc., at the University of West Florida in Pensacola from 2013-2017, where he led a successful $50 million capital campaign. His teaching career spanned 13 years in Florida and Michigan in rhetoric and political communication.
A practiced academic leader, Dr. Kelly’s focus at UWG was innovative programming both inside and outside the classroom with an emphasis on creating valuable life and career outcomes for students, with a commitment to launch and advance student careers upon graduation. He served on the board of directors of multiple regional and state economic development entities, as well as the Atlanta Regional Higher Education Consortium.
Professional Associations & Awards
He is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities board of directors and was named “One of the Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend magazine and James Magazine. He was active with the National Forensic Association (NFA) and other speech and debate state associations across the country for many years and was honored as a NFA Hall of Fame inductee and with the Eddie Myers Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Kelly is vice chair of the Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network.
Education
He received a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations and a Master of Arts degree in communication at Eastern Michigan University and his Doctor of Philosophy in rhetoric and political communication at Wayne State University.
Family
Dr. Kelly and his wife, Dr. Tressa Kelly, have three adult children – Bree Luckey (married to Drew Luckey), Liam (married to Emily Kelly), and Kieran — and a granddaughter, Kit Luckey.
Megan Gross
Executive Assistant to the President
2025 - present
Education
- University of West Georgia, B.S., Mass Communications
- University of West Georgia, M.S., Digital and Social Media Communication
mgross@asusystem.edu
Pam Kail
Special Advisor to the President
1991 - present
Education
- Arkansas State University
