Biography and education
Dr. Kelly Clary joined Texas State University in September 2020. She holds all three degrees from the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I-L-L!
Dr. Clary has clinical experience with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Counseling Center's Alcohol and Other Drug Office Team where she led alcohol prevention programming for more than 9,000 students. She has also engaged with numerous community agencies, including the Champaign County Juvenile Detention Center, an Outpatient Substance Use Facility, Carle Emergency Department, and a Universal Health Services Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital. Currently, in Texas, Dr. Clary works alongside Wimberley ISD, Dripping Springs ISD, San Marcos CISD, Texas ICON, Hays County Public Health Department, Cenikor, and Hill Country MHDD.
To date, Dr. Clary has successfully led and co-led more than 10 funded grant projects ranging from $1,500 to $1,885,787. These research projects have been funded from a variety of entities, including Texas State University, University of Illinois Veterans Center, American Psychological Foundation (APF), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Clary was awarded the Texas State University 2025 Presidential Award for Excellence in Research/Scholarly Activities exemplifying her research with and alongside community members and is a TXST Translational Health Research Center Faculty Fellow.
Dr. Clary has clinical experience with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Counseling Center's Alcohol and Other Drug Office Team where she led alcohol prevention programming for more than 9,000 students. She has also engaged with numerous community agencies, including the Champaign County Juvenile Detention Center, an Outpatient Substance Use Facility, Carle Emergency Department, and a Universal Health Services Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital. Currently, in Texas, Dr. Clary works alongside Wimberley ISD, Dripping Springs ISD, San Marcos CISD, Texas ICON, Hays County Public Health Department, Cenikor, and Hill Country MHDD.
To date, Dr. Clary has successfully led and co-led more than 10 funded grant projects ranging from $1,500 to $1,885,787. These research projects have been funded from a variety of entities, including Texas State University, University of Illinois Veterans Center, American Psychological Foundation (APF), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Clary was awarded the Texas State University 2025 Presidential Award for Excellence in Research/Scholarly Activities exemplifying her research with and alongside community members and is a TXST Translational Health Research Center Faculty Fellow.
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured grants
- Clary, Kelly Lynn (Principal), Rogers, Megan (Co-Principal), Nason, Erica (Co-Principal), Schepis, Ty (Co-Principal). The Fentanyl Education, Support Training, and Awareness (FESTA) Program Supports Hays County, Texas, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Federal, $1872567. (Funded: September 30, 2024 - September 30, 2029). Grant.
- Selber, Shirley K (Co-Principal), Clary, Kelly Lynn (Co-Principal). TexVet Legacy for Tomorrow: Storytelling for this Generation of Legacy Veterans, Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal, $344015. (Submitted: March 26, 2024, Funded: September 1, 2024 - Present). Grant.
- Chiu, Chung-Yi (Principal), Clary, Kelly Lynn (Co-Principal), Gao, Xiatoian, Hunniecutt, Jeni, Schroedter, Blake. A Longitudinal Machine Learning Approach Providing Clinicians Timely Detection to Prevent Military Suicide, National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services, Federal, $100000. (Submitted: October 16, 2022, Funded: October 2023 - Present). Grant.
- Rogers, Megan (Principal), Clary, Kelly Lynn (Co-Principal). Development and Validation of a Self-Report Measure Assessing Psychological Distance to Suicide Methods, Research Enhancement Program, Texas State University, $16000. (Submitted: October 5, 2022, Funded: January 1, 2023 - Present). Grant.
- Hughes, Monica Jamison (Principal), Percent Contribution: %94, Erbin-Roesemann, Marla A (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %2, Moon, KeriAnne Mauch, Percent Contribution: %2, Clary, Kelly Lynn, Percent Contribution: %2. Simulation Learning of Public Health Nursing Core Competencies Through Narrative Gaming, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Federal, $500000. (Submitted: May 28, 2020, Funded: September 1, 2022 - August 31, 2024). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Selber, undefined K., Clary, K., Rodrigues, N., Ortiz, R., West, B., Morales, S., & Merritt, T. (2025). Continuing the Mission: Findings from a Needs Assessment Supporting the New Generation of Student Veterans. Studies in Clinical Social Work: Transforming Practice, Education and Research, 95(2), 193–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/28376811.2025.2471308
- Clary, K., Habbal, M., Smith, D., & Fratila, I. (2021). The Green Sheep: Exploring the Perceptions and Acceptability of Cannabis Among Young Military Members and Veterans. Cannabis, 4(2), 31–46. https://doi.org/10.26828/cannabis/2021.02.003
- Clary, K., & Byrne, L. (2021). Emerging Adult Military-Connected Students Express Challenges Transitioning into Higher Education: Implications for Helping Professionals. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2021.1925176
- Clary, K., Pena, S., & Smith, D. (2021). Masculinity and Stigma Among Emerging Adult Military Members and Veterans: Implications for Encouraging Help-Seeking. Current Psychology, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01768-7
- Clary, K., Smith, D., Goffnett, J., Chiu, C.-Y., & Davis, J. (2021). "A Functioning Addict Is Still a Kid:” Qualitative Study of Emerging Adults in Residential Treatment. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 21(2), 179–193. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/1533256X.2021.1893954
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, Texas State University. June 2025 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: New Faculty Research Spotlight, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs: Engaging Research Newsletter. December 15, 2022
- Award / Honor Recipient: 2022 College Achievement for Excellence in Teaching, College of Applied Arts, Texas State University. August 19, 2022
- Award / Honor Recipient: Alpha Chi Chapter Honorary Faculty Member, Phi Alpha National Honor Society. March 7, 2024 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: First Generation Initiatives, First Generation Initiatives, Texas State University. 2025 - May 2025
Featured service activities
- Reviewer / Referee
2021 Council on Social Work Education Conference Reviewer
- Member
School of Social Work Program Standards Committee
- Co-Chair
School of Social Work Military Connected Student Group
- Chair
School of Social Work Louder Than Words Journal
- Member
School of Social Work BSW Committee
- Member
Committee on Committees