Kelli obtained her Commercial Pilot (Aeroplane) Licence from the Australian Institute of Aviation. She started her aviation career as a flight instructor and worked throughout Australia within General Aviation as a charter pilot. Kelli continued her education and has obtained both a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and a Graduate Diploma in Aviation with distinction. She has worked as a contractor in technology training roles for the Federal Government and the private business sector. Joining the University sector in 2004, Kelli has a passion for teaching and education within STEM-M related areas. She is accredited through the Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority (QCAA) as an external assessment marker for Queensland schools within aviation science. Kelli is a committee member of the not-for-profit "It's a Bloke Thing Foundation" that fundraises and raises awareness for Prostate Cancer research, care and education. She has recently received a research scholarship at RMIT to join the Respectful Relations in Research team exploring sustainable work environments in the broad field of STEM-M exploring leading theories of gender in organisations and gendered institutionalism.