Mary L Kelly

Mary L. Kelly is an Associate Professor of Educational Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where she has been a faculty member since 2007. She is based in Merritt Hall and teaches courses focused on special education, including Children with Disabilities, Self-Determination in Special Education, and Transition & Disability: Life After High School.

• Ph.D., Indiana University
• M.P.H., University of Hawai'i
• B.A., University of Illinois

Her research and teaching emphasize inclusive education, self-determination for individuals with disabilities, assistive technologies, and multicultural special education. She has developed curricula that integrate problem-based learning and multimedia tools to prepare future educators for diverse classrooms.

Her recent publications explore the use of video and multimedia communication to support self-determination, as well as the impact of technology-enhanced PBL on teacher preparation for English Language Learners and multicultural contexts. These works reflect a consistent focus on empowerment, accessibility, and innovative pedagogy in special education.

She has received external research funding from prestigious organizations including:

• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
• B. Thomas Golisano Foundation
• Independent College Fund of New York (ICFNY)/John Ben Snow Foundation
• U.S. Department of Education – OSEP

Mary Kelly is actively involved in the academic community through her affiliations with professional organizations such as the American Education Research Association (AERA) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), including its divisions on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Career Development and Transition, and Technology and Media.

She leads or contributes to initiatives like Project SMART and Project SAMMY, which focus on using technology to support student reading and self-determination in transition planning. There is no mention of a specific lab or research team, but her grant-funded projects suggest collaborative, applied research efforts in educational innovation and inclusion.