Kelly Palida Phommachanh is a first generation, Lao American doctoral candidate in her fifth year of the Higher Education Leadership PhD program at Texas Christian University (TCU).

Prior to TCU, she received her Masters in Education (M.Ed) from the University of Oklahoma in 2020 and Bachelors in Integrative Studies from University of North Texas in 2018.

Kelly’s doctoral dissertation research focuses on examining the impacts of intergenerational war trauma, and how it correlates to the trials and tribulations in which first generation Lao and fellow Southeast Asian American students face during their journey in higher education.

Outside of academia, for the past decade, Kelly has given back to her community as a traditional Lao dance instructor and youth mentor, serving students all across the USA through various partnering community organizations, such as the Lao Heritage Foundation. She’s been Lao dancing for over 25 years, following in the footsteps of her mother, Savan Phommachanh, a former Lao traditional dancer and teacher.

In 2018, she helped establish the non-profit organization, DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) Lao Heritage. Kelly is also a burn survivor, with her right arm sustaining second to third degree burns. She currently serves as a Patient Ambassador for her hospital, Shriners Hospital for Children, advocating for burn awareness.