Bio
Anna Kelly, Ed.D. is an imaginative global education scholar and practitioner focused on holistic, liberative teaching and learning through international education. Anna holds a Doctorate in Global Education from SIT Graduate Institute, a Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Guilford College.
Anna has contributed to several publications, including the Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education, the Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education, the CEA CAPA Occasional Publication, and the IIENetworker. You can often find her at conferences like NAFSA, Forum on Education Abroad, or CIES, presenting her research or leading workshops on mindfulness and women's leadership. She has studied abroad, completed research, or led programs in 13 countries.
At Minerva, Anna manages multiple academic programs for first-year students in the Cornerstones, including the Cornerstone Civic Project, Summer Preparation, and Structured Study Sessions. She’s particularly passionate about creating opportunities for community engagement and cultural immersion for students in San Francisco.
Research
- "Civic Engagement as a Cornerstone for First-Year Experience" in IIENetworker, Fall 2025: https://www.iienetworker-digital.com/iieb/0225_fall_2025/MobilePagedArticle.action?articleId=2084796#articleId2084796
A feature article about Minerva's Civic Project Program in San Francisco as an innovative first-year experience - "Whole Human Pedagogy for Education Abroad" in JCIHE:
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/jcihe/vol16/iss6/5/
An article summarizing research on the novel framework "whole human pedagogy" for designing and implementing international education programs
Accomplishments
- GlobalEd Early Career Research Fellow
- Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education Emerging Scholar
- Current Topics Workshop trainer and chair for NAFSA
- Presenter for Forum on Education Abroad and CIES
- Experienced international youth program leader