Biography

Kathryn Kelley serves as executive director of the Ohio Manufacturing Institute at The Ohio State University. She has more than 20 years' experience in program leadership and strategic communications at industry-oriented higher education, economic development and statewide technology organizations. She collaborates with state and national partners to develop regional and national public policy to support manufacturing innovation, advocate for small- and medium-sized manufacturing needs within the supply chains and remove barriers between academia and industry.

Activities include:

  • Managing Ohio Department of Development Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership funded program on “Manufacturing 5.0” Digital Transformation for Manufacturers to develop and engage small- and medium-sized manufacturing firms in their journey toward digital integration
  • Conducting research and published an Economic Development Quarterly report that led to the launch of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology degree program at Ohio State's four regional campuses, in which she serves as lead coordinator
  • Collaborating with state and national partners, including the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association and Ohio TechNet, on advanced manufacturing education pathways and career programs
  • Issuing an Ohio Department of Development-funded project on Ohio Advanced Manufacturing Technical Resource Network roadmaps organized by manufacturing processes to determine solutions to critical manufacturing needs
  • Administering Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) Ohio Means Internships & Co-ops program for the Central Ohio region
  • Serving as Ohio principal investigator on a $2.24M US Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment Defense Manufacturing Assistance Program and $300K Defense Cybersecurity Assurance Program
  • Managing industry engagement for Ohio Department of Higher Education Ohio Innovation Exchange, a statewide research expertise portal connecting Ohio academic and technical institutions with industry partners
  • Produce and host "Manufacturing Tomorrow," a podcast series with 100+ guests and more than 2,000 subscribers that highlights innovative manufacturers and the partnerships that propel their efforts
Engineering Inclusive Excellence

She is dedicated to issuing action-provoking reports and developing programs with industry and academic partners that support the integration of advanced manufacturing and workforce development.