Roberta Kelly, professor emerita, worked at Washington State University for nearly 50 years, 35 of them in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.
She taught and directed the College’s basic writing course, COM 225/295, with oversight of up to 500 undergraduates and three to five instructors each year. Kelly also taught a graduate seminar in science communication while serving as communications specialist for two funded ($4.7 million total) NSF grants. She taught reporting, as well as undergraduate science writing, and supervised journalism interns. Kelly developed and coordinated the College’s Peer Mentor Writing Program and was an undergraduate curriculum adviser.
She edited for Northwest Public Broadcasting and advised The Association for Women in Communications- WSU Pullman Chapter, nationally recognized 28 times. She also served on the AWC national teaching committee. Kelly was a board member and twice president of the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators. In the College, she was assistant dean of undergraduate studies and twice journalism sequence head. She also was a member of the WSU President’s Teaching Academy and was recognized as a Faculty Member of the Year with the Arete Award. She received the WSU Assessment Leadership Award. Kelly was recognized as a WSU Faculty Mentor, was chosen as an American Press Institute Fellow, and selected as a Gannett Teaching Fellow.
She reviewed research papers for the science division of AEJMC and textbooks for 10 major publishers. Kelly evaluated regional college journalism programs. She judged national, regional and local editorial contests in engineering, as well as journalism, and directed grammar, feature writing, and science/technology communication workshops.
She was a freelance writer, assistant editor for the Idaho Arts Journal, and a general assignment reporting intern for the Lewiston Tribune. Kelly worked for the WSU genetics program, the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine, the Institute of Arctic Biology, and in R & D for Avon Products, Inc.
She judges various segments of the Washington and Idaho Future Farmers of America state competitions.
Kelly, a professor of practice, holds undergraduate degrees in animal science, biology, communication, and a graduate degree in veterinary science.