May 18, 2026
Story by Ryan Gauthier, rjgauthier@health.missouri.edu
When Beth Kelley learned she had been named the inaugural Fritz Faculty Scholar, it felt personal.
The new faculty distinction in the Mizzou College of Health Sciences recognizes excellence in teaching, research and service. Kelley, an associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, was selected for the three-year appointment.
The honor carries particular significance because of its ties to Dana Fritz, a longtime colleague whose philanthropy made the position possible.
“There is something really special about this recognition coming from the Fritz family,” Kelley said. “Dana has been a colleague, mentor and friend for more than a decade. I rely on her for her perspective and expertise, particularly when it comes to teaching.”
Kindness begets kindness
Fritz, a clinical professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, created the endowment as a way to invest in faculty who are deeply engaged in teaching and mentorship. She was motivated by her own experiences as a first-generation college student and by the teachers and family members who shaped her academic path.
“Both my parents were not able to go to college, but they were dead set on me going to college,” Fritz said. “My mother saved dimes in a Mizzou Tiger piggy bank. Every night after work, she emptied her pocketbook of dimes and often said, ‘This is for when you go to Mizzou.’”
That early encouragement carried Fritz through her undergraduate years, graduate study and eventually a career at Mizzou. After her parents passed away, she wanted to find a way to honor them while extending the same generosity she had experienced.
“Basically, a kindness begets kindness kind of thing,” she said.
When the endowment reached the point where it could be awarded, Fritz said she was as surprised as anyone. It was only a few years after she and her husband, Scott Fritz, established the fund, and she expected the process to take longer.
“I’ve been telling people it sprang to life,” she said. “I’m not sure if it’s excitement or shock. I feel like we just decided to start giving last year.”
Naming Kelley as the inaugural Fritz Faculty Scholar was a natural fit, Fritz said, because of Kelley’s research focus and commitment to teaching.
“She has a sharp mind for research, and her interest area in vocabulary learning in children is vital for language and reading,” Fritz said. “It’s basically what makes or breaks academic success no matter how you slice it.”
Real-world impact
Kelley’s research examines how speech-language pathologists deliver language intervention services in real-world school settings, with particular attention to classroom collaboration and practical implementation to meet the needs of SLPs.
The faculty scholar funding will allow Kelley to expand that work while increasing student involvement and interaction among undergraduate and graduate students. The funds will also support conference presentations and create paid opportunities that reduce barriers for graduate students struggling to balance coursework, clinical commitments and outside employment.
“When I have students involved in my research lab, I notice how much everyone benefits from having a mix of undergraduate and graduate students,” Kelley said. “The undergrads learn so much from the graduate students, and the graduate students get a lot out of having a mentorship role.”
The endowment gives Kelley the space to build more of those moments and create an environment where learning happens organically. She also plans to support teaching initiatives that bring academic and clinical faculty together while strengthening early language and literacy work beyond the classroom.
“To put it very simply, I feel like I have the chance each day to do something that really matters,” Kelley said. “Just about every day I feel like we are doing something that makes a difference.”
Read about other Tigers working to Power the Roar at Mizzou.
