Media Contact
Kenya King
Director
Public Relations and Marketing Communications
Perimeter College
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DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dr. Melody Kelley has a reputation. People know her. They know she works hard. They know she completes tasks, and they know she succeeds.
Oh, and she’s also “awesome,” according to Dr. Scott Ross, Perimeter College’s Faculty Awards Committee chair, who recently announced Kelley as the recipient of the 2025 Faculty Service Excellence Award.
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Kelley attended Wayne State University for her undergraduate degree and University of Alabama for her Ph.D.
Since 2016, she has taught chemistry on the Dunwoody Campus of Perimeter College. She holds a university-wide position as a faculty associate in the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Online Education (CETLOE) at Georgia State University and leads a strategic plan implementation initiative tasked with engaging faculty to increase student success.
Kelley is “widely known for being involved in endless and impressive service activities, both for the university and the community,” Ross said. “Her selfless willingness to serve and to help is inspiring and motivating … The winner of this award has a history and proven track record of going above and beyond in service to her students, her college and her university.” Dr. Deborah K. Manson, Perimeter College professor of English, added that Kelly has become a go-to person when service is needed.
“Melody is repeatedly selected or recruited for these leadership positions because she is diligent and organized,” Manson said. “Shegets things done.”
The list of ways in which Kelley has served Perimeter College and Georgia State University community is immense. She has been the club advisor for the college’s Women in STEM Experience (WiSE), the Dunwoody Campus champion for Cradle to College and Rising Panthers Program, and the Dunwoody coordinator for Perimeter College’s 60th Anniversary in 2024. She served on the Promotion and Tenure Peer Review Committee. She was chair of the Organic Chemistry Curriculum Committee and worked on several search committees during the last six years. She is a GSU Faculty Senator, serving on the Admissions and Standards Committee, Research Committee, Budget Committee, Senate By-Laws, and Faculty Affairs Committee. She attends and presents at conferences and has been published multiple times.
Kelley also serves the greater community, as a board member of the Sandy Springs Education Force, organizing the Black History Month Program for Sandy Springs Middle School, being a member of the Southern Regional Education Board Center for the Innovative Faculty Development Advisory Board. She has served as a councilwoman for the City of Sandy Springs and volunteered at charitable organizations, such as The Drake Closet, Dunwoody Toastmasters and Habitat for Humanity.
“She has exhibited a wealth of service to our college, community, and students,” said Dr. Jay P. Dunn, associate chair of physical science at Perimeter College.
“Her selfless willingness to serve and to help is inspiring and motivating,” said Jennifer Miller, assistant professor of accounting at Dunwoody Campus, “ … She radiates positivity while serving, and it is inspiring.”
Kelley said service is an important part of her life.
“According to Stanford (University) neurosurgeon Dr. James Doty, humans are biologically ‘wired for service,” she said. “ … For me, this understanding of the intrinsic centrality of service is evident in the way I live my life, as well as my approach to leadership at Georgia State University and Perimeter College. Over my eight-year tenure, I have had the privilege of serving our students, our community and our institution at the highest level.”
Story by Christy Petterson
Photo by Bill Roa