Andrew Kelly, who has been the chief strategic officer at the UNC System for the past eight years, will become permanent director of the Project Kitty Hawk educational technology nonprofit on Aug. 1.
UNC officials named Kelly to the post on an interim basis in May after former CEO Will Zemp departed, two years after joining the enterprise. Project Kitty Hawk’s mission is to help UNC campuses expand online-degree programs for working adults, most of whom now opt for programs offered by non-UNC institutions.
Kelly “has led countless big and bold initiatives at the System, from financial aid simplification to student success innovation to new accountability and performance funding models,” UNC President Peter Hans said in a July 11 email to Project Kitty Hawk’s 50 staff members. “And he was one of the primary drivers behind the development and launch of PKH.”
Project Kitty Hawk received $97 million in pandemic relief funding, which is slated to be spent through 2028. Enrollment is projected to reach nearly 15,000 students and achieve annual revenue of $78 million by then, half the initial projections
Hans called the effort “possibly the biggest and boldest step a university system has ever taken to better reach, educate and graduate adult learners.” He added that he is “amazed and enthusiastic about the pace” of Project Kitty Hawk’s progress, noting it has enrolled more than 200 students into its programs, re-enrolled about 1,800 students in the system and brought 11 programs to market.”
Kelly worked at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. before joining UNC as senior vice president for strategy and policy. He has master’s and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.
