Biography
Dr. Kelly Rusch
Consultant
2579 Pickett St.
Plymouth, WI 53073
Term: 02/01/2025 – 01/30/2028
Kelly A. Rusch earned her bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1986, her master's degree in 1989 and her doctorate in 1992 in civil engineering with an emphasis on environmental engineering at Louisiana State University. She is a registered professional engineer in Louisiana and a board-certified environmental engineer. She was an engineering faculty member and administrator at North Dakota State University (NDSU) from September 2013 through July 2024. At NDSU, Rusch served as vice president for research and creative activity, associate chair of the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering and ABET Coordinator for the Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering program. She has served on the boards of the NDSU Research Foundation, NDSU Research and Technology Park, Northern Plains Unmanned Aerial Systems Authority, and the North Dakota Economic Development Foundation and was a member of the executive committee of the Council on Research of the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities. Additionally, she served as Executive Director of the North Dakota Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) state office, where she oversaw efforts of the NSF EPSCoR Track-1 cooperative agreement and the development and implementation of activities that support statewide STEM education and workforce development, diversity, partnerships and collaborations and public communications.
Prior to her roles at NDSU, Rusch was an engineering faculty member and administrator at Louisiana State University. She served in numerous leadership positions, including associate dean of the College of Engineering, interim chair of the Department of Construction Management and Industrial Engineering, and founder and director of the Institute for Ecological Infrastructure Engineering. Rusch has more than 150 refereed articles, technical papers, reports and published columns. Currently, Rusch serves as an ABET Commissioner and program evaluator (for environmental engineering).