Faculty Profile
Mary Kay Keller
Chair, Applied Family Science
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
302-327-4897
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Florida State University
M.P.A., University of Utah
B.S., Weber State University
A.A., Weber State University
Biography
Dr. Keller earned a PhD from Florida State University, College of Human Sciences’ Department of Family and Child Studies; a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah; a Bachelor's with Honors from Weber State University, College of Social Sciences majoring in Psychology, minoring in Sociology. Dr. Keller is a member of the National Council on Family Relations, The American Psychological Association's Quantitative and Qualitative Research Section and the Association of American University Women. Dr. Keller holds a Social Service Worker's License and is a Certified Infant Massage Instructor through the IAIM-US (International Association of Infant Massage - US chapter). Dr. Keller is the President on the Board of Infant Massage USA.
TEACHING
Dr. Keller taught Ecological Contexts for Individual and Family Development at Florida State University and Human Development across the Life Span at the Utah State University. Dr. Keller earned certifications from Florida State University's Center for Teaching and Learning: Program for Instructional Excellence; Office of Distance Learning - Mentoring Certification and On-line Mentoring.
Dr. Keller teaches Parenting Education, Legal and Ethical Policy Issues, and the Capstone Course on Human Rights.
RESEARCH
Dr. Keller's research interest is optimal science based child care giving activities supporting bonding and attachment benefiting family ecology. Dr. Keller was awarded a Dissertation Grant from the College of Human Sciences for her dissertation research about fathers. The results of Dr. Keller's research are published in the Journal of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Keller presented a synopsis of her research in 2015 in a TED talk. Dr. Keller is a qualitative ethnographic field researcher who interests include multi-disciplinary collaboration.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Dr. Keller professional experience spans 20 years in State and County Government social services in the Prevention of: Substance Abuse, Mental Health, Domestic Violence and Rape, and HIV-AIDS. She was the past Executive Director of a Family Support Center providing respite and Nurturing Parenting Education services for families at risk of Child Abuse and Neglect and the President of the Family Support Center Coalition. Dr. Keller was a children’s advocate and an actor in two social justice plays, “Wildflowers in the Median” and “Birth.”
ENTREPRENEUR
Dr. Keller is a professional life coach and over the last 15 years has provided life coaching to individuals and families on Parenting, Life Adjustments, Career and Academics. Dr. Keller is also a business consultant and a motivational speaker.