Hilton Kelly, Dean and Professor of Sociology

directory photo of Hilton Kelly

Dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and Professor of Sociology Hilton Kelly

A passionate and accomplished interdisciplinary scholar, educator and administrator whose philosophy is described as “focused on student success and committed to strategic and impactful decision-making,” Hilton Kelly serves as the fourth dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. His commitment to student-centered teaching and innovative leadership enhances the experiences in and outcomes from the College, furthering Elon University’s reputation as a national leader in engaged learning.

Kelly was named dean of the College in 2024, joining Elon after serving two years as the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education. A 2021-22 American Council on Education Leadership Fellow at Mitchell College, he previously held leadership positions at Davidson College as director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, chair of the Department of Educational Studies and was a full professor of Africana studies, educational studies and sociology.

He is an award-winning interdisciplinary scholar with expertise in the sociology of education, critical race theory, the Jim Crow era, the lives and careers of Black educators, and social memory studies.

In Their Own Words

“Dr. Kelly is an extraordinary scholar who brings his expansive mind, intellectual curiosity and generosity of spirit to every aspect of his research, teaching, program building, and leadership. Colleagues value his advice and respect his candor, and all students experience his empathy and gain confidence from his belief in their potential. As his colleague, I drew strength from his courage, humor and honesty, qualities that distinguish his leadership.”

– Carol E. Quillen, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and President Emerita, Davidson College

“Hilton has a leadership style that is focused on student success and a commitment to strategic and impactful decision-making. He listens, creates the opportunity for feedback, and understands his role within a broader campus community. Hilton values community and regional collaborators and can sit at the table to authentically partner while working toward solutions to complex challenges.  He is the type of leader that we need in higher education.”

– Tammy Evetovich, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Platteville

“Hilton exemplifies authenticity as a leader, colleague, scholar, and teacher. To every new opportunity, he brings his scholarly curiosity, creative problem-solving ability, good humor, and commitment to upholding the greater good for students, faculty, and staff. At Elon, Hilton will draw on his decades of experience and strong work ethic to accomplish great things.”

– Lisa Jasinski, President, Associated Colleges of the Midwest

Leadership & Scholarship

Academic Appointments

University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Platteville, Wisc.

  • Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education, 2022-24

American Council on Education Leadership Fellow

  • Mitchell College, 2021-22

Davidson College

  • Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Studies, 2021-2022
  • Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Studies, 2020-2021
  • Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, 2018-2019
  • Research Fellow and Visiting Scholar, James Weldon Johnson Institute for Race and Difference and the Department of African American Studies, Emory University, Atlanta, 2011-2012
  • Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Studies, 2013-2019
  • Assistant Professor, 2007-2013

Consortium for Faculty Diversity Dissertation Fellow

  • Denison University, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, 2006-07

Selected Scholarship

“Thinking About Black Education: An Interdisciplinary Reader,” with H.M. Roberson (Myers Education Press, 2023)

“Toward a Moratorium on Publishing in the Field of Educational Studies: Where is This Train Going?” Educational Studies (2019)

“Unearthing and Bequeathing Black Feminist Legacies of Brown to a New Generation of Women and Girls,” Journal of Negro Education (2016)

“‘Just Something Gone, But Nothing Missing’: Booker T. Washington, Nannie Helen Burroughs and the Social Significance of Black Teachers Theorizing Across Two Centuries,” Educational Studies (2012)

“Race, Remembering, & Jim Crow’s Teachers,” (Routledge Press 2010)

*2011 American Educational Studies Association Critics’ Choice Book Award

“What Jim Crow’s Teachers Could Do: Educational Capital and Teachers’ Work in Under-Resourced Schools,” The Urban Review (2010)

“‘The Way We Found Them To Be’: Remembering E. Franklin Frazier and The Politics of Respectable Black Teachers,” Urban Education (2010)

“Racial Tokenism in the School Workplace: An Exploratory Study of Black Teachers in Overwhelmingly White Schools,” Educational Studies (2007)

Education

University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Ph.D., Sociology, 2007

University of Massachusetts at Amherst, M.S., Labor Studies, 2000

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, B.A., History, 1995