Special Assistant to the Chancellor Carol Y. Kelley is still getting acclimated to her new position at UMass Boston. Her first week on the job was marked with snow cancellations and a half-day. But, for Kelley, who grew up on a college campus, coming to UMB every day is a lot like going home.

Carol Kelley grew up against the backdrop of Wilberforce and Central State Universities in Wilberforce, Ohio. Her parents met there while attending college during the 1940s and Kelley’s father later acted as Wilberforce’s Dean of Men.Kelley would spend her childhood living in campus faculty housing and attending an on-campus elementary school. Later she would secure her undergraduate degree from the same location. Wilberforce, where Kelley double majored in psychology and history, is an African American Methodist Episcopalian school. Kelley returns to the area as often as she can, and is eager to relate her experiences to the more diverse UMass Boston. “We’re just so blessed here to have people from so many countries around the world. That’s one of the things that’s so great about the university that you just notice right away. It’s just such a blessing, something that we should all take advantage of,” she says. According to Administration, Kelley was brought into the Chancellor’s Office this semester to aid with the university’s urban mission and fundraising efforts. She joins Interim Chancellor Keith Motley’s team that includes Associate Chancellor Ken Lemanski and Special Assistant Chris Hogan. “I met the chancellor. I was inspired by his leadership and wanted to be of service to the university,” she says.

Although new to UMB, Kelley has been living in the Boston area for 28 years. Most recently she has been consulting for Arts organizations partnership work. She has also held a number of varying positions, from working on the central artery project, to a non-profit in a construction agency where she primarily dealt with small, minority and women-owned businesses. She is confident that her experience will transfer well in the university setting. “All the jobs I’ve had have been business or externally-related and I’ve always enjoyed those. And, I think that is one of the things that is important for university life because it ensures collaboration between the university and the community that surrounds it,” Kelley explains.She admits that having only been in the office for one blizzard-shortened week, she has not fully settled into her position, but is anxious to get started.

“In terms of understanding what’s important in this city, in terms of being able to meet people and full-collaboration and consensus, I think that what I need to do is learn about the university and our program and I’m eager to do that-to find out what’s important to the university and what we have to offer to the city, and what it has to offer to us. Not only the city, but the commonwealth and beyond,” says Kelley.

Thus far the new special assistant to the chancellor has found the campus easy to navigate and the people that make it up equally helpful and pleasant. Walking from the Administration building to the Campus Center, Kelley has a daily reminder of the Ohio campus where her father remains involved in his college fraternity and frequently attends basketball games.”I just love being around the students, for me it’s like going home. It makes me think of that, and those are pleasant thoughts,” she says.