Student success-minded

Wright State alumna Kelly Hogan is the associate vice president for academic affairs for Columbus State Community College.

As a first-generation college student, Kelly Hogan, Ed.D., believes earning her undergraduate degree from Wright State University was no small feat and changed her life forever.

After graduating from high school near the top of her class, Hogan received an honors scholarship in the field of education at Wright State.

Hogan graduated from Wright State with a bachelor’s degree in education in mathematics and physics and a master’s degree in education in curriculum, instruction and professional development from The Ohio State University. After receiving a specialist certification in developmental education from Appalachian State University, she earned an Ed.D. in higher education and adult learning from Walden University.

“I believe that Wright State set me up for success,” said Hogan, who is the associate vice president for academic affairs for Columbus State Community College. “I was provided a strong foundation in the field of education. I was out in the field teaching in record time. I find that amazing. Thinking you know what a field will be like is very different than experiencing it. Also, I came from a small town lacking diversity. Wright State and my teaching placements opened my eyes to people who were very different from me.”

When not attending classes as an undergraduate student, Hogan worked as a building manager in the Wright State Student Union, where, clad in a green jacket that draped her 5’2″ frame and armed with a walkie-talkie, she supported the facility and programming. She was also part of the University Center Board through which she learned about campus life and honed her people skills.

Hogan pursued education as a career because she believed in and understood the subject matter, had received an academic scholarship and simply enjoyed teaching.

“Education is an amazing field,” she said. “As the world changes, so too does the need for more education and training so we are always challenged to think critically and creatively. In this field you can make a difference in the lives of people, and that creates an amazing sense of purpose.”

Hogan began her career at Columbus State in the 1990s as an adjunct faculty member and became a full-time, tenure-track faculty member teaching mathematics in the Developmental Education Department. She moved through the ranks, becoming a professor, and has served across the college in different roles.

She said that range of experiences helped prepare her for her current position.

“My work is centered on all matters related to building our student success and completion agenda — an agenda focused on all students,” she said.

One of her colleagues said Hogan is not only instrumental to the success of the college but is also a tireless advocate for students and the institution of education.

“Dr. Kelly Hogan’s three-decades-long work at Columbus State Community College truly has been tethered to her tireless effort to lead from a place of compassion, inclusion and accountability,” said Crystal R. Clark, Ph.D., assistant dean of the college’s Delaware Campus. “Dr. Hogan has never wavered from expecting achievable standards being met by students, faculty, administrators and staff. As much as she cares about the structures and systems that keep the college running efficiently, she cares about the lives within the institution, and the care that she extends is not one-size fits all.”

Hogan leads projects, participates in several teams and teaches the occasional class to stay grounded. She also co-facilitates the college’s Women’s Employee Resource Group.

“I feel like my career continues to be a successful and fulfilling one,” she said. “I hope to continue to mentor students and employees so they can also grow into the career fields and positions that interest them.”