Dr. Tressa Kelly of Little Rock is the First Lady of the Arkansas State University System and a champion of empowering students to find their passion — and themselves — during their college and university experience.
This is Kelly’s fourth time as acting first spouse and first time as first spouse of a university system. She serves on the Spouse and Partner Strategic Planning Committee for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
She earned a Ph.D. in communication with a focus on rhetorical studies from Wayne State University and received her master’s degree in communication and a bachelor’s degree in communication and theatre arts from Eastern Michigan University. Kelly coached collegiate speech and debate for more than a decade. At the University of West Florida, she served as the director of speech and debate and basic course director for the public speaking course.
Having taught for 24 years at the collegiate level in an array of undergraduate and graduate courses, Kelly has always felt at home in higher education.
