Originally from southeastern Wisconsin, Kelly grew up active in 4-H and FFA, exhibiting registered Southdown sheep at state and national level shows. She developed a passion for the livestock industry through participation in livestock and meat judging teams, as well as livestock skillathon and quiz bowl. Kelly received her B.S. from Oklahoma State University in food science with an emphasis on meat science, where she was involved in livestock and meats judging, working in the meat science lab, and other organizations across campus. Kelly completed her master’s degree in animal science from Kansas State University, where she served as a teaching assistant for the Department of Animal Science and Industry and completed research focused on investigating marbling texture’s impact on beef palatability. She received her Ph.D. in Animal Science from Texas Tech University, where her dissertation focused on postmortem influences on beef flavor development and tenderness. Prior to coming to Knoxville, Kelly served as an assistant professor of animal science at the University of Arkansas where she taught courses in meat science and animal evaluation; hosted livestock short courses and meat judging contests for 4-H and FFA; and conducted research in the areas of red meat quality and the consumer eating experience. Kelly looks forward to creating a true pasture to plate approach to her Extension, applied research, and teaching program, involving producers, processors, retailers, students, and consumers in experiential learning experiences and applied product quality research in meat science.