Dr. Kellie Butler

Introducing our new Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Kellie Butler

Quick Summary

  • Welcome to Graduate Studies and UC Davis, Dr. Butler!

Dr. Kellie Butler, who officially assumed her position as Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies in May, is bringing her A-game to the department and our campus. Dr. Butler matriculated into Texas A&M University as an undergraduate and Rice University for her master’s and doctorate degrees in political science. Most recently Dr. Butler served as the Executive Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Rice University where she collaborated with faculty to serve students through a variety of outreach and engagement projects as well as overseeing the Office of Fellowships and Undergraduate Research. Prior to Rice, she was a faculty member at Pennsylvania State University, teaching Political Science to both graduate and undergraduate students.  

As Kellie (she insisted) sat down for the interview, it was clear that her personality exudes not only intelligence and confidence, but also vibrancy and professionalism. While Kellie has always been adamant about her pursuit of knowledge in political science, specifically courts and institutions, and how court structures influence the actors’ decisions, she has always felt strongly connected to the mentor role. “Maybe it’s eldest child syndrome,” she says, citing herself as one of three in her family. “It was always instilled in me to mentor others; I’ve always been one.”

When she was young, Kellie tutored in her community. She grew up in inner-city Houston, and attended magnet schools. She says the schools she attended outside her own community allowed her to see different ideas and practices in education. Ultimately, her inclination to mentor in education carried over to graduate school, where she created a scholarship fund a pre-collegiate training program to help kids who were interested in attending college. Kellie saw that many kids from the inner-city communities rarely thought about getting degrees, but she worked toward the idea that kids should still have post-high school options, such as training for the service industry or attending community college. To this day, she is still involved with this program and keeps in contact with a few close mentees who have pursued graduate and professional degrees.

After Kellie graduated from Rice University with her Ph.D, she took on numerous mentoring positions in higher education institutions in Pennsylvania and Texas. She has accumulated over 13 years of experience working in the field, and she continues to build paths for others. “In the community you can help others, but in the institution, you can help others and be more strategic about it,” Kellie says.

Her strategies thus far have made her quite successful in helping others get fellowships and awards. She says that working with students who want to achieve, who are determined, is what motivates her to continue helping. Kellie says that the UC Davis campus is, in particular, thriving in academics; however, she also wants to encourage students to pursue their true interests, whether those are in academia or other careers in the industries. “I don’t want students to feel limited,” Kellie says.

As Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies, Kellie wants to focus on expanding diversity and providing competitive funding for top students around the world to attend UC Davis. Of course, she will continue to build the relationship between faculty and students. “It’s important to [provide] a supportive environment in graduate school. And the mentoring doesn’t stop there, it’s important to have a [lasting] network to be successful and competitive,” Kellie says.

Beyond work, Kellie’s support system remains her family. Her husband who is a physician executive, was offered a job in California about a year ago, and they, along with their two children, settled down in nearby Folsom. Though she is adjusting to her duties as Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies with energy and gusto, she is still adjusting to more hobbies (such as hiking and boating) available to her in California, where the climate is a tad milder than the hot and humid Houston area. She is also developing an interest in wine, to which she says she is not an enthusiast, but loves to hear of its histories and stories. “It’s another slice of culture,” she says.

Welcome to Graduate Studies and UC Davis, Dr. Butler!

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