Alcoa professor of chemical engineering and director of the NC State Biotechnology Program, Robert Kelly, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 16, 2026, at the age of 72. He is survived by his wife Maureen; his three children, Elizabeth Kelly, Caitlin Kelly Gaylord (and spouse Ryan), and Michael Kelly (and spouse, Erica); his three grandchildren, Jack, Madden, and Bennett; and his brothers, James Kelly and Thomas Kelly.

Kelly earned his bachelor’s and master’s in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia in 1975 and 1976, respectively. He worked for two years at DuPont’s Marshall Laboratory in Philadelphia, PA, focusing on waste management problems in coatings manufacture. Kelly came to NC State University in 1978 under advisement from Prof. Ron Rousseau to study and work as a project engineer for the EPA Coal Gasification/Gas Cleaning Facility. 

After completing his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at NC State in 1981, he joined Johns Hopkins University as a chemical engineering faculty member. He also held adjunct appointments in the Center of Marine Biotechnology at the University of Maryland and in the Biotechnology Core Lab in NIDDK at NIH while at Johns Hopkins. In 1992, Kelly returned to NC State as a professor in chemical engineering. In 1998, he was named Alcoa professor. He also served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies from 2000-02. 

Kelly’s research centered on the interface between biology and engineering, with a focus on understanding the physiology, biochemistry, and bioenergetics of microorganisms from extreme thermal environments, such as undersea volcanoes and continental hot springs, including their biology and their potential use as biocatalysts. He is known as a pioneer in biotechnology. Over the course of his career, he won dozens of awards for his research, published nearly 300 articles, advised 52 Ph.D. students, 17 M.S. students, 26 post-doctoral researchers, and many more undergraduates.

“His passion for mentorship and dedication to students were truly unmatched, and he made a profound impact on my life and career path,” wrote Kristen Krupa (PhD ‘07 and now Chair of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Dayton).  

“What I remember most was that Bob treated me as an equal in the lab, even from week one when I knew next to nothing,” said Elizabeth Nance (BS ‘06 and now Chair of Chemical Engineering at University of Washington).

Kelly changed lives. He wanted students to not only succeed but to exceed their expectations. And for students that were struggling, he went above and beyond. In his own words, “some of my best memories are seeing a student who struggles mightily just finish and get their diploma – there is sheer joy to those situations.” 

Kelly was also a dedicated teacher and an innovator in engineering education.  He led the interdisciplinary NC State Biotechnology Program as Director from 2000 to 2026, and he served as primary advisor for the nearly 500 students who completed the Biotechnology minor in the past 25 years.  He was also a second father to many of the faculty in the department.

“At one point, I was lamenting that I didn’t know much biology and that it limited my ability to collaborate or apply for NIH grants. He encouraged me to take one of his courses, which I eventually did (somewhat sheepishly) during the summer. It was a blast being a student again and I was blown away by the quality of the program, which Bob championed,” remembered Prof. Michael Dickey.

Among the honors that Kelly received are election as a fellow of AIMBE (1996), AAAS (2007), and AIChE (2024), the NC State College of Engineering RJ Reynolds Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Extension (2002), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Extremophiles (2018), and the Charles D. Scott Award from Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (2025).   He received the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence, the highest honor for faculty at NC State University in 2021.

Kelly was the epitome of the scholar/teacher/mentor.  He was an extraordinary human being. His colleague, Prof. Balaji Rao put it very elegantly: “I will always carry Bob’s teachings with me. I hope I can live up to be worthy of them.”  Prof. Kelly will be sorely missed.

The Bob Kelly Biotechnology Endowment has been established by the family in memory of Bob; the fund will aid the NC State BIT program: https://go.ncsu.edu/imobobkelly.