The School of Science Alumni Association at IUPUI has presented Adam Kelly with the 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Kelly earned his M.S. in Biology from the School of Science in 1998. The award was presented November 10 on campus.
“I have had the pleasure of getting to know Adam and I am struck by his genuine character, intelligence and appreciation for his School of Science education,” said Simon Rhodes, dean of the School of Science. “Adam is a role model to our students and we are proud to call him one of our own.”
Kelly grew up in Indianapolis and attended Ben Davis High School. He planned to go to medical school after he graduated from Indiana University, but was waitlisted for medical school. Instead, he worked toward a master’s degree in biology at IUPUI, planning to enroll in medical school at the completion of that degree.
According to Kelly, an important thing happened during his graduate courses. A guest lecturer shared a story about lawyers who assisted a national company in obtaining a patent for one of their products. For Kelly, who had always had an interest in law, it was like a light bulb had gone off in his head. He found a career that would combine both of his interests: law and science.
Following encouragement from School of Science faculty, Kelly attended John Marshall Law School in Chicago, where he thrived.
“I think that the rigor and the analytical skills developed through the School of Science definitely were an advantage in law school and also as a practicing lawyer,” Kelly said. “You apply those same skills to real-world situations.”
Today Kelly is a partner with Loeb & Loeb, a law firm in Chicago, IL, where he is a nationally-acclaimed counsellor in intellectual property. He has represented a wide variety of clients in patent infringement cases in both federal district and appellate courts. Clients include industry leaders in agricultural science, biotechnology, medical devices and pharmaceutical arts. He is considered an international expert on intellectual property law.