An experienced higher education leader, educator, and scholar, Derrick L. Tillman-Kelly, Ph.D., is the vice president for Strategic Initiatives and chief of staff at Spelman College, where he serves as principal advisor to President Ayanna Howard, leads cross-divisional strategic initiatives, and guides institutional execution of the College’s strategic plan.
Prior to joining Spelman, he was chief of staff in the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University, acting as principal advisor to then-Dean Howard and chairing the college’s senior leadership and operations teams.
A champion of educational access and equity, Tillman-Kelly served as director of the Fellows Program and Network Engagement for the University Innovation Alliance (UIA) until 2021. In this role, he worked with member universities to support institutional transformation with the goal of eliminating race/ethnicity, first-generation status, and socioeconomic status as predictors of student success and completion.
Prior to leading the UIA Fellows Program, Tillman-Kelly served in multiple roles at Ohio State, including as the inaugural UIA Fellow and special assistant to the director of the Center for Higher Education Enterprise. He was also co-principal investigator and research lead of the Louis Stokes Midwest Regional Center of Excellence for Broadening Participation in STEM from 2018 to 2024, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.
He serves on several boards, including as founding board chair of the Columbus nonprofit Project CLOUDS, treasurer of The Communion Collective Foundation, and vice chair of the New Salem Baptist Church Board of Trustees. Previously, he served as president of the Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) Alumni Association and an ex officio member of the IWU Board of Trustees.
He is an active life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. He was named a 2025 Buckeyes Under 40 honoree by the Ohio State Black Alumni Society and a 2026 40 Under 40 awardee by Columbus Business First.
He earned his Ph.D. in educational policy and leadership with a specialization in higher education and student affairs from Ohio State, a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University, and a bachelor’s degree in biology (cognitive science minor) from Illinois Wesleyan University.