Associate Dean
Dr. John F. Kelly arrived at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies as an Associate Dean in February 2010, bringing 35 years of experience in higher education, civil government and military science. He came to Washington, DC as an Associate Professor from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, where he was a Fulbright Scholar conducting research on comparative federalism. Dr. Kelly’s academic research has focused on retained sovereignty and policy development of subnational government, and he has received multiple teaching awards. He also served as an elected member of the Board of Governors of Wayne State University from 1998 to 2002.
Professor Kelly holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (international relations and diplomatic history) and was a Graduate Fellow of Wayne State University. He also has a Juris Doctor degree from Michigan State University and is a diplomate in military law from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General School. He completed graduate studies at Georgetown University and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Wayne State University. His baccalaureate degree is in political science and education from the University of Michigan with Honors. Dr. Kelly served as a Special Attorney General in Michigan from 1995 to 1999. He is a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, the Michigan Supreme Court and all subordinate Federal and State bars as well as the US Court of Military Appeals.
Associate Dean Kelly was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 1978 from Detroit at age 28 and served four consecutive four-year terms. In 1994 he stood for election to the U.S. Senate requiring retirement from the state legislature. In the Michigan Senate he served with distinction and leadership on committees with jurisdiction over the judiciary, banking and economic development, health policy, local government and public finance. John was elected at his first caucus to the leadership post of Majority Whip and authored over 100 pieces of legislation and amendments that became law, including the state investment anti-apartheid laws for South Africa and the McBride antidiscrimination employment laws for Northern Ireland. He served on the National Commission on Uniform Law, the Michigan Law Revision Commission and as a delegate to the National Conference on State Legislatures. Associate Dean Kelly served on a National Commission on Distressed States and is committed to projects to revitalize the City of Detroit. He served until 2009 as the elected Vice-Chair of the Michigan Film Advisory Board and is currently the Director of the Detroit Windsor International Film Festival going into its third year.
John retired in 2009 as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, Civil Affairs branch. As a Foreign Area Officer, he has served as a Defense Attache on multiple tours of Active Duty assigned primarily to the Republic of South Africa. In his reserve capacity he spent seven years as a liaison to Federal law enforcement on counter-terrorism research. A Graduate of Army Command and General Staff College he also spent 10 years as a staff Judge Advocate General. He has been decorated repeatedly for his contributions to the defense establishment during times of war.
Areas of Expertise
Internal Security and Homeland Defense, Civilian Policy Development, Electoral Reform and Democracy, Southern Africa