John W. Kelly, PhD

John Kelly, Ph.D., is executive director of the Restoration Institute and vice president for Public Service and Agriculture. He serves as one of the three mission vice presidents at the University, as well as director of the Clemson Experiment Station, director of the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service, director of The South Carolina Botanical Garden, and administrative technical representative for the McIntire-Stennis Forestry Program.

He provides leadership for the university-wide public service mission, its five off-campus Research and Education Centers and eight Institutes. His areas of responsibility include oversight of programs, personnel and budgets for the Extension Service, the Experiment Station, two regulatory units and service learning.

Prior to joining Clemson, he was a faculty member at Texas A&M University from 1982-1985. In 1985, he joined Clemson’s horticulture department and was named department head in 1991. He was named director of the South Carolina Botanical Garden in 1991. In 1996, he was named vice president for Public Service and Agriculture, his current position.

In addition to his academic and outreach activities, Dr. Kelly is active in community and professional organizations. He has served as chairman of the board of directors of The American Society for Horticultural Science, and currently serves as Chair of the Board for The American Distance Education Consortium. He recently served as President of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists and also serves on the Boards for the Pate Foundation and the South Carolina Biotechnology Alliance.

Publications include more than 50 scientific journal articles and more than 100 popular press articles. The American Society for Horticultural Science has recognized Dr. Kelly with a number of significant awards, notably the award for Outstanding Research, the L. M. Ware Distinguished Research Award and the Leadership and Administration Award. He also is a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science. Kelly earned a B.S. in horticulture from Clemson University, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in horticulture from Ohio State University.

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