Christopher Kelly

Christopher grew up and completed dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in eastern Pennsylvania (USA), studying International Affairs and Geology at Lafayette College. The seeds of Chris’s commitment to African education were sown during a study abroad experience in community-led wildlife conservation in the Kunene Region, Namibia, and through a 2013-2014 U.S. Fulbright research grant to the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Durban, South Africa). Thereafter, he attended Brown University to research Earth’s past climate states, earning a Master of Science degree in 2016 before teaching high school science and advising at Dwight-Englewood School (New Jersey, USA) for six years. Chris reconnected with South Africa in 2023 through the Umkhumbane Schools Project (Durban), working to improve educational access and outcomes in the historic Cato Manor township. He is thrilled to join ALA and contribute to its mission through university guidance.