Many of us in the higher education community were deeply shaken by the untimely death of Kelly Ward, Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Recognition and Professor of Higher Education at Washington State University. A prolific scholar, Kelly was also a longtime supporter and editorial board member of NJAWHE. Her death leaves a hole in the higher education community, but her scholarship has already left an indelible mark on the field. Because of her tremendous impact, we wanted to highlight some of her academic accomplishments.
Kelly’s research primarily centered on faculty work. She was deeply interested in work and family issues, particularly for women faculty. She will probably most be remembered for her research collaboration with Lisa Wolf-Wendel, which spanned a decade and a half, on the experiences of academic mothers across institutional types, ranging from research universities to liberal arts colleges to community colleges. This line of research inquiry was supported by three different grants, two from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and one from the American Association of University Women totaling nearly $200,000. Together, Kelly and Lisa published a series of articles, which culminated in their 2012 book Academic Motherhood: How Faculty Manage Work and Family. For this volume, they conducted a longitudinal study of over 100 women, first interviewing them as pre-tenure faculty members and later following up with them in mid-career. Although they certainly uncovered challenges balancing work and family, Kelly and Lisa always underscored that motherhood is not only compatible with academic life but can result in much joy. They reframed the conversation about academic motherhood from one about obstacles to one about benefits, thus challenging predominant rhetoric.
Kelly and Lisa’s research on work/family issues did not stop with their book, but rather they continued with many articles and book chapters, including one recently published in NJAWHE titled “Mothering and Professing: Critical Choices and the Academic Career.” Kelly’s research spanned other domains as well, including the recruitment and retention of women in STEM, department chair development, and service-learning and engagement. She was a noted scholar who was invited all over the country and world to give lectures.
In addition to collaborating with Lisa, Kelly was always at the ready to collaborate and mentor others, including both of us. Margaret’s research agenda on work/family scholarship owes a tremendous debt to the precedent established by Kelly’s work. She was lucky enough to co-author an article with Kelly and Lisa, comparing the experiences of academic mothers and fathers. At the time of her death, Kelly was a contributing author to a book on rethinking student affairs work that Margaret is editing. But more than the research collaborations, Kelly was always ready to offer advice and support when needed. Amy learned that firsthand as an emerging scholar whom Kelly shepherded through the challenges of juggling single motherhood with the tenure process. Kelly’s matter-of-fact approach to making sure that Amy was always looking ahead and preparing for the next professional hurdle inspired her belief that tackling the challenges of parenthood and academic life was not just manageable but that she could excel in both. Over time, Amy came to appreciate more fully the role-modeling provided by Kelly who not only was an incredible scholar but who deeply cherished and reveled in the time she shared with her own family. We both recognize the influence that Kelly had on the lives of so many of us both through her professional and personal examples.
We know that Kelly had a profound impact on the lives of many in the NJAWHE community, from editorial board members to our readers. As is often the case, we did not fully understand the expanse of Kelly’s mentoring and support until we both observed and participated in the outpouring of gratitude for her constant care for others after her tragic passing. Our lives are forever enriched by her scholarly contributions, commitment to mentoring, and friendship. Because words can only begin to describe the impact of this amazing woman on so many, we strive each day to honor Kelly by carrying on her legacy and invite our readers to do the same.