Kelly Shea Welch teaches in the School of Family Studies and Human Services at Kansas State University. A native of Kansas, she received her Ph.D. in Family Studies at Kansas State University after working for many years as a doula, a professional birth attendant who provides emotional, physical, and informational support to the childbearing woman and her partner. Still today her research interests marry women's health issues with family studies. Over the past 10 years, she has taught the large, introductory human growth and development course which enrolls a little more than 1,000 students per semester. The author of the interactive learning CD Roms, "Development: Journey of a Lifetime," and "Development: Journey through Childhood and Adolescence, "she recognizes and emphasizes the value of active and learner-centered pedagogy that allows students to organize, integrate, and generate knowledge. In addition to teaching the human growth and development course, she also teaches the Family Relationships class that enrolls approximately 300 students each semester.

She is a recipient of numerous teaching awards, including the Presidential Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching, and nominations for the United States Professor of the Year and the United States Distance Educator of the Year. These teaching awards and nominations recognize her distinct, innovative, and energetic teaching style-students consistently indicate that this unique teaching style puts them "on the edge" of their seats and holds their attention.