First Lady Dr. Bridget Turner Kelly

Bridget Turner Kelly, PhD, serves as First Lady of the University of Portland.

Dr. Kelly is Associate Professor in the Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy Program at the University of Maryland. She is also Diversity Officer and Chair of the Council on Racial Equity and Justice at Maryland's College of Education.

She earned her master’s and PhD degrees in Social Foundations of Education from the University of Maryland. Her research interests are examining university campus cultures for racial, gender, and educational equity. Her scholarship focuses on documenting the journeys of women and People of Color in historically White research institutions, preparing equitable educators, and intergroup dialogue.

She has authored over 40 publications, including two articles that have been cited in AMICUS briefs for U.S. Supreme Court cases.

Dr. Kelly is an award-winning teacher of intergroup dialogue and presents nationally on the topic. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education and as Executive Editor for the Journal of Student Affairs, Research and Practice. Dr. Kelly is co-editor of Building Mentorship Networks to Support Black Women: A Guide to Succeeding in the Academy (2022, Routledge). In 2023, she was named "Mentor of the Year" of the University of Maryland Graduate School, and has received several additional honors for her teaching, scholarship, and service.

Dr. Kelly and her husband, Dr. Robert D. Kelly, are the parents of two children.