Bianca Altamirano Kelly

Bianca Altamirano Kelly, PhD, MSW earned her BSW and MSW from Arizona State University and her PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Washington. Dr. Kelly's research has primarily focused on the intersection of mental health and culture, investigating how social workers can enhance access to underserved populations while simultaneously acknowledging and honoring cultural beliefs of wellness and health. The majority of Dr. Kelly's research has employed qualitative and mixed methods approaches, as well as incorporating analysis through the lens of feminist methodologies and critical theories, in addition to ecological models of health. Dr. Kelly's research focus is an extension of her professional field experiences in child welfare, child mental health, family programming, domestic violence advocacy, and program administration.

As social work faculty, Dr. Kelly has been a guest lecturer and lead instructor in diversity and inclusion, policy intervention, research methods, foundational social work theory, and intergroup dialogue. In higher education, Dr. Kelly has consistently focused on supporting underrepresented students by managing programs that target student success strategies, recruitment, and retention. Toward this aim, she has led initiatives, programming, and federally funded projects that provide greater opportunities for students.