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From Colorado Creeks to Global Classrooms: Dr. Kelly Keena’s Mission to Empower the Next Generation of STEM Leaders
This April, we are highlighting the stories and experiences of STEM leaders. We’re proud to highlight STEM leader Kelly Keena, founding senior director of UL Research Institutes' Office of Research Experiences & Education, with over 25 years of experience in STEM and environmental education, program evaluation, and positive youth development.
Dr. Kelly Keena will also be speaking at the GlobalMindED Conference in Denver, taking place June 16–18. She will be a panelist on The Science of Safety: Climate, Communities, and Schools.
Tell us about your journey.
My professional journey stems from my personal journey. As a fourth-generation Coloradan, my identity was shaped in the creeks and prairie grasses behind my childhood home, where I spent hours catching snakes and dragonfly nymphs. I didn’t realize that my time spent in curiosity and wonder was science until I led a summer program for young children, exploring a river canyon just a few miles from those very creeks. I have always had a strong pull toward both places and people. As a first-generation college student in a geography course with Dr. Roberta “Robbie” Smilnak, I discovered my purpose in global sustainability and equity, and she became my first mentor.
Science became a lightning rod for me as a human geography student investigating water quality by studying benthic macroinvertebrates as the canaries of water quality. That same curiosity led me across Southern Africa, South America, and throughout the U.S., exploring the intersections of people, places, science, and culture.
A constellation of a million moments in those formative years pointed me in one definitive direction: education. My career has unfolded in four distinct chapters. I began working in that river canyon and other environmental education nonprofit organizations, which led me to classrooms and schoolyards as a science teacher. From there, I transitioned into researching children’s experiences through social, emotional, and intellectual learning. Later, I co-owned a consulting firm to help others evaluate educational experiences. Now, I lead the education office for UL Research Institutes, dedicated to building a safer, more sustainable future through educational programs and research.
I can't say I could always articulate the reason for the next adventure at each professional transition, but I sought out every opportunity I could find—even those that felt disparate or out of reach.
Just after graduate school, my second mentor, Dr. Carole Basile, invited me to co-teach a university course with her. I went on to teach that course for 10 years.
As a K-8 science teacher and instructional coach, I was nominated to be part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Education Advisory Council (NEEAC). I was asked to chair the 11-member council. In 2015, we presented our recommendations to the EPA Administrator and Congress.
Additionally, after a 15-minute conversation with a friend’s colleague, I found myself in the Peruvian Amazon three months later as part of a teacher education program. After 10 years and 12 trips to the rainforest, I am a co-founder of the Morpho Institute, a nonprofit and volunteer-run organization, and a past board president. Each of these experiences led to success in my current position—and to a lifetime of wonder, fulfillment, and joy.
What pivotal experiences shaped your current path?
My journey has been shaped by moments of curiosity, mentorship, and unexpected opportunities. The formative experiences I mentioned above—my time exploring nature as a child, my introduction to global sustainability, my work in education, and my leadership roles—have all played a role in shaping my work at UL Research Institutes.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career similar to yours?
I recommend braving new experiences that broaden your perspectives and ways of understanding the world. Have an end goal in mind, and remain flexible—the path will inevitably be winding. Embrace failures as much as successes because that’s where the richest learning happens. Those moments shape not just who we become, but also who we choose not to be.
What drives your desire to contribute and make a difference?
At its core, education is about contribution. Before I am an educator, I am a lifelong learner. My parents were deeply community-minded; my brother is an educator; my family members are musicians and performers. Each of these roles contributes to the world in its own way. I have never known any path but this one—to be pulled into this meaningful and critical work.
If you could go back and advise your younger self, what would it be?
My daughter is currently completing her master’s degree in social work. Like education, social work is a career that often receives little recognition from society, yet it transforms lives—one person at a time. I think about my daughter and so many others in a similar place as my younger self and what I needed to hear at a similar pivotal point:
"Thank you. You are appreciated. You are seen. You are invaluable. Your work matters. You matter."
This is the appreciation we extend to all educators through the work we do at ULRI’s Office of Research Experiences & Education.
How can GlobalMindED support STEM leaders like yourself in achieving your goals and advancing your aspirations?
Challenging times lie ahead for those dedicated to improving the lives of people and the health of our planet. Leadership, much like teaching, can feel lonely—especially when broader societal support diminishes. As a qualitative researcher and educator, I have seen the profound power of people’s stories. Spaces like this—where we can share, connect, and belong—are vital. Thank you GlobalMindED for providing that space.
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