Diana Mady Kelly receives the Order of Ontario
Diana Mady Kelly, a graduate of London Teachers’ College and Honorary Alumni of the Faculty of Education received the Order of Ontario on January 28 at Queen’s Park. "It was incredible," said Mady Kelly. "I was so touched and honored by the whole event.” A Professor Emerita of the University of Windsor, she is the former director of the School of Dramatic Art at Windsor as well as an accomplished actor, theatre director, administrator and award-winning teacher.
Although she admits that her heart belongs to Windsor where she began her teaching career in 1961, she remembers her days at London Teachers College with great fondness. "It was such a happy and productive time." She continues to have strong ties to London, playing a key role in the production of "The Rabbit Hole Monologues," a dramatic representation of the experience of cancer survivors and a project close to her heart. Diana served as president of the Council of Ontario University and College Theatre Programs and is a member of Canadian Actors' Equity Association and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. She is a founding member of the Stratford Summer Academy for University students.
"Receiving the Order of Ontario was such an honour," Mady Kelly said. "Such an honour makes you think about what you can do and inspires you to do more." This honour is the latest in many tributes: the Lieutenant Governor’s Laurel Award for Teaching Excellence, teaching awards from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.
