Kelly Gleason Keogh

As the Academic Personnel Manager, Kelly is the primary point of contact for academic personnel issues at the Bren School. She manages new faculty recruitments, academic personnel merit and promotion cases, and she serves as a resource for case preparation and evaluation. Kelly supports faculty executive, academic personnel and diversity committees, and assists with planning and facilitation of faculty meetings and retreats.

Kelly is a Santa Barbara native and returned in 2019 following a 15-year career with NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in Honolulu, Hawaii. While in Honolulu, Kelly was the maritime archaeologist and the Maritime Heritage Coordinator for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and World Heritage Site. Following an undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame, Kelly pursued a master's in Nautical Archaeology at St. Andrews University in Scotland and a Doctorate in Coastal Resources Management at East Carolina University in North Carolina. As a mixed gas technical diver and closed circuit rebreather diver, she participated in exploratory research expeditions to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in search of new fish species and mesophotic reef habitat characterization. Her responsibilities as a maritime archaeologist for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) included leading the exploration, interpretation and protection of maritime heritage resources in the NWHI. She is a passionate traveler, ocean swimmer and sports enthusiast. In her free time, she enjoys sharing her love for the coastal environment and exploring the outdoors with her family.