Kelly is the Undergraduate Administrator for the department, serving in this role beginning in the summer of 2020. Prior to joining the English Department, she worked in the Department of History, beginning in fall of 2018, and prior, as a Contract Administrator with Procurement Services in Finance and Treasury beginning in early 2018. She sees her role in the Department as supporting all matters that concern the undergraduate students and faculty.

Kelly is a proud alumna of the inaugural class of the Actors Studio Drama School M.F.A. @ Pace University (formerly at New School University)where she was awarded an M.F.A. in drama; she received her B.A. from Skidmore College where she majored in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in Dance; and she also holds a paralegal certificate. She is grateful for the amazing individuals she has had the opportunity to work with within these programs and without. She adores creatives of all kinds and maintains an active connection with the Mercer/Bucks creative community by continuing her work as an actor, writer, director, and dramaturge. In her free time, Kelly enjoys spending time with her family, cheering on her twins in their academic, athletic, and musical pursuits, reading and listening to books from all genres, and spending time with her family pets. When she is able, she may be found acting and directing with local community theater groups and continuing her real joy of coaching area actors for auditions and roles.  

In her role as the department's Undergraduate Administrator, she works closely with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Please contact Kelly Lake with your questions, problems, and concerns related to the undergraduate program in the department. She is happy to assist with:

• General inquiries
• Policies and procedures
• Course scheduling
• The Department’s Study Abroad programs
• Student research funding (S.A.F.E.) 
• All aspects of studying and majoring in English, including:
  • JP- and Thesis-related questions (procedures) 
  • Common Works Exam
  • Degree Progress
• Additions to The Weekly, the department’s undergraduate weekly newsletter

After the University shut down to in-person education in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Kelly leveraged her prior background as both a student and adjunct professor who worked extensively with Canvas and Blackboard to support our faculty by assisting training faculty on Blackboard and Canvas best practices, the integrated systems, providing technical co-hosting for courses and events, co-hosting a series of technical training seminars geared towards addressing distance learning during June - July 2020, and one-on-one training with faculty members to ensure the technical skills needed for online teaching. She is happy to help with any questions regarding these learning tools.