In Memoriam: Kelly, Robert M. (Bob)
(1953-2026)
Robert M. Kelly, Ph.D., Alcoa Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University and Director of the NC State Biotechnology (BIT) Program, passed away peacefully on March 16, 2026, at the age of 72.
Kelly obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia. After working for 2 years at DuPont’s Marshall Laboratory in Philadelphia, Pa., focusing on waste management problems in coatings manufacture, he moved to North Carolina State University (advisor Professor Ron Rousseau) to study and work as a project engineer for the EPA Coal Gasification/Gas Cleaning Facility. He completed his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at NC State in 1981 and then moved to Johns Hopkins University, where he was a faculty member in chemical engineering. While at Johns Hopkins, he also held adjunct appointments in the Center of Marine Biotechnology at the University of Maryland and in the Biotechnology Core Lab in NIDDK at NIH.
In 1992, he returned to NC State as a professor, and in 1998, was named Alcoa Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He served as associate vice chancellor for research and graduate studies from 2000-02. He led the interdisciplinary NC State Biotechnology Program as Director from 2000-2026 and served as primary advisor for the nearly 500 students who completed the biotechnology minor in the past 25 years.
Kelly is known as a pioneer in biotechnology. His research interests centered on the biology and biotechnology of extremophilic microorganisms, focusing on 5 genera: Pyrococcus, Sulfolobus and Metallosphaera from the archaea, and Thermotoga and Caldicellulosiruptor from the bacteria. His work on extreme thermophiles ranged from biocatalysis at high temperatures to novel features of their microbial physiology to metabolic engineering for the production of bio-based fuels and chemicals from lignocellulose and CO2.
Over the course of his career, Kelly won dozens of awards for his research, published nearly 300 articles, advised 52 Ph.D. students, 17 M.S. students, 26 post-doctoral researchers and many more undergraduates. He served as an editor for the ASM journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2012-2022). He was an elected fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) (1996), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2007), and the the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) (2024). He received the NC State College of Engineering RJ Reynolds Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Extension (2002); the American Chemical Society’s Marvin Johnson Award in Biochemical Technology (2004); the American Institute of Chemical Engineering’s Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Award (2007); the ASM DuPont Industrial Biosciences Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology (shared award with Michael Adams) (2018); the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Extremophiles (2018); the NC State Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence (2021); and the Charles D. Scott Award from the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (2025).
The Bob Kelly Biotechnology Endowment has been established by the family in memory of Kelly; the fund will aid the NC State BIT program.
Kelly is survived by his wife Maureen; his 3 children, Elizabeth Kelly, Caitlin Kelly Gaylord (and spouse Ryan), and Michael Kelly (and spouse Erica); his 3 grandchildren, Jack, Madden and Bennett; and his brothers, James Kelly and Thomas Kelly.
Source: NC State Obituary
Kelly obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia. After working for 2 years at DuPont’s Marshall Laboratory in Philadelphia, Pa., focusing on waste management problems in coatings manufacture, he moved to North Carolina State University (advisor Professor Ron Rousseau) to study and work as a project engineer for the EPA Coal Gasification/Gas Cleaning Facility. He completed his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at NC State in 1981 and then moved to Johns Hopkins University, where he was a faculty member in chemical engineering. While at Johns Hopkins, he also held adjunct appointments in the Center of Marine Biotechnology at the University of Maryland and in the Biotechnology Core Lab in NIDDK at NIH.
In 1992, he returned to NC State as a professor, and in 1998, was named Alcoa Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He served as associate vice chancellor for research and graduate studies from 2000-02. He led the interdisciplinary NC State Biotechnology Program as Director from 2000-2026 and served as primary advisor for the nearly 500 students who completed the biotechnology minor in the past 25 years.
Kelly is known as a pioneer in biotechnology. His research interests centered on the biology and biotechnology of extremophilic microorganisms, focusing on 5 genera: Pyrococcus, Sulfolobus and Metallosphaera from the archaea, and Thermotoga and Caldicellulosiruptor from the bacteria. His work on extreme thermophiles ranged from biocatalysis at high temperatures to novel features of their microbial physiology to metabolic engineering for the production of bio-based fuels and chemicals from lignocellulose and CO2.
Over the course of his career, Kelly won dozens of awards for his research, published nearly 300 articles, advised 52 Ph.D. students, 17 M.S. students, 26 post-doctoral researchers and many more undergraduates. He served as an editor for the ASM journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2012-2022). He was an elected fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) (1996), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2007), and the the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) (2024). He received the NC State College of Engineering RJ Reynolds Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Extension (2002); the American Chemical Society’s Marvin Johnson Award in Biochemical Technology (2004); the American Institute of Chemical Engineering’s Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Award (2007); the ASM DuPont Industrial Biosciences Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology (shared award with Michael Adams) (2018); the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Extremophiles (2018); the NC State Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence (2021); and the Charles D. Scott Award from the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (2025).
The Bob Kelly Biotechnology Endowment has been established by the family in memory of Kelly; the fund will aid the NC State BIT program.
Kelly is survived by his wife Maureen; his 3 children, Elizabeth Kelly, Caitlin Kelly Gaylord (and spouse Ryan), and Michael Kelly (and spouse Erica); his 3 grandchildren, Jack, Madden and Bennett; and his brothers, James Kelly and Thomas Kelly.
Source: NC State Obituary