Nicholls Campus to be Primary Location for Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy; Executive Director Named

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November 6, 2024

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November 6, 2024

The University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors approved the Nicholls State University Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation, scheduled to be available in Fall 2026.

The degree program will now go to the Louisiana Board of Regents for approval before students can be accepted. Capt. Kelly Denning will lead the development of the Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy as its Executive Director. The Academy’s primary location is set to be on Nicholls State University’s campus, with full support from ULS’s network of universities.

Capt. Denning served over 26 years in the United States Coast Guard, most recently as Sector Commander for New Orleans. She oversaw all Coast Guard missions in the Louisiana Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River System, from Baton Rouge, to the Gulf of Mexico and out to the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf – one of the largest, busiest and most complex coastal and port areas in the nation.

“We are eager to get the new Marine Transportation program started and excited to see where Capt. Denning takes it,” said Nicholls President Jay Clune, PhD. “Her very successful Coast Guard career, with her most recent assignment as Commander Sector New Orleans, will be an incredible asset in the development of the program and the Maritime Academy as a whole.”

As Sector Commander, Capt. Denning served as Captain of the Port, Officer in Charge of Marine Inspections, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator and Federal On-Scene Coordinator.

Additionally, she served as Incident Commander for several events including severe weather, mass rescue operations and two of the nation’s largest maritime oil spills. She sailed for six years on various sized ships, responding to both Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita, enforcing fishery laws and regulations, conducting counternarcotics operations and participating in exercises on maritime security and law enforcement with other nations throughout the Caribbean and Central/South America, Africa and the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Capt. Denning was also hand-selected as Planning Section Chief for the first-ever U.S./Canada International Joint Area Command and established processes for cross-border resource allocation and information management during an exercise with over 250 participants from 32 agencies. As Chair of the New Orleans Area Maritime Security Committee, she oversaw the evaluation of port security grant proposals, securing $7 million and winning the national AMSC of the Year award in 2023.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Government from the Coast Guard Academy and a Master of Science degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from Touro University International. Additionally, she is a Certified Emergency Manager by the International Association of Emergency Managers, a Certified Maritime Port Executive by the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives and holds a 100-ton Master Merchant Mariner license with towing endorsement.

“I am very excited to join the ULMA team as the Executive Director and look forward to continuing the momentum started in creating the nation’s next State Maritime Academy. By providing both ‘brown water’ and ‘blue water’ licensing options, ULMA will greatly support the maritime industry that is critical to Louisiana’s economy,” said Capt. Denning.

The Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy is the state-designated maritime academy housed in the University of Louisiana System. ULMA aims to meet the maritime industry’s demands head-on, bolster the maritime workforce and equip students with exposure to opportunities tied to Louisiana’s vast waterways. Through strategic partnerships with Louisiana’s Community and Technical College System and collaboration with maritime training programs, ULMA opens new educational pathways to expand horizons.

Existing degree programs are: