Kelly Lucas, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research, The University of Southern Mississippi
Director, Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence

Dr. Kelly Lucas was named Vice President for Research at The University of Southern Mississippi, effective May 1, 2023. Lucas has served in the position on an interim basis since July 1, 2022. During that time, she helped secure significant federal, state and private funding in support of faculty research projects, economic development, and undergraduate and graduate student research, as well as completing an in-depth analysis highlighting the critical role of non-STEM programs in maintaining the University’s Carnegie R1 designation.

Prior to her current appointment, Lucas served as USM’s Associate Vice President for Research, Coastal Operations; Director of the University’s Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center; and was the first chief scientific officer for the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. As a Science Fellow in the office of the late Senator Thad Cochran, she advised on ocean and atmosphere legislation and policy. She currently serves as vice chair of the Board of Trustees for the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, is Special Advisor for Stronger America through Seafood, and was previously Chair of the Gulf of Mexico University Research Collaborative.

The current portfolio for the vice president for research includes oversight for all research-related initiatives across all USM locations, including externally funded projects, congressional requests, intellectual property, technology transfer and commercialization, economic development, innovation management, creative scholarship and corporate recruitment. The position reports directly to the University president and also serves as Executive Director of the University’s Research Foundation.

A South Mississippi native, Lucas earned an undergraduate degree in microbiology from Mississippi State University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and a doctorate in coastal sciences from USM.

Foundation Board
Term Expires: 2025