Prior to arriving at Baylor in 2002, Kelly Russell was a successful high school theatre teacher. He directed four one-act plays which placed first or second at the Texas UIL State One-Act Play Contest. His decision to return to school to earn the MFA was motivated by a desire to move into university teaching.

The plan worked!

Kelly Russell now serves as the Director of Theatre at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where he heads the Theatre Education Program and serves as the director of TAMUCC's Summer Theatre Workshop: Camp on the Coast.

Currently an Associate Professor of Theatre, Kelly has been honored three times with the A&M Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence. He is also past-president of the Texas Educational Theatre Association.

In 2005 he was awarded a DFW Critics' Forum award for King Ubu, which he directed for Second Thought Theatre in Dallas.

In 2008, Kelly's production of Anima Mundi won the Directors' Choice Award for outstanding play at the Region VI American College Theatre Festival.

Kelly's thesis project was By the Bog of Cats by Marina Carr.