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Gray Named Assistant Dean, Executive Director of SBS Advising Resource Center
Kelly Gray, currently associate dean of students for student life, has been named assistant dean and executive director of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Advising Resource Center, effective Aug. 6.
She replaces Carolyn Bassett, who has been appointed associate provost for student success.
Gray has worked at UMass Amherst for 11 years and has held positions in residence education, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and most recently in the Dean of Students Office.
SBS Dean John Hird says, “Kelly brings a wealth of experience to the position, and we’re delighted to recruit someone with her vision, expertise, and passion for improving the SBS undergraduate advising experience.”
As associate dean of students for student life, Gray has collaborated with colleagues in both academic and student affairs to assist students in crisis. She has been a key leader in recent initiatives to support low-income students, including the implementation of student care supply closets, emergency microgrants, and access to free dining commons meal swipes for food insecure students.
She has consistently demonstrated her commitment to underrepresented student groups, recently receiving the LGBTQIA+ Faculty/Staff Leadership award from the Stonewall Center.
She completed her doctorate in educational policy and leadership at UMass Amherst in 2014. She also earned a master’s in higher education from the university and a Bachelor of Science in health administration from Quinnipiac University.
“I am honored to have been selected to join the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences student success team. Academic advising and career development are two essential components of SBS’s strategy to improve retention in support of UMass Amherst students,” says Gray. “I look forward to collaborating with faculty and staff in the Advising Resource Center and throughout the college to provide SBS students with an exceptional academic experience.”