Dr. Kelly Moore Obituary: Rutgers Psychology Community Mourns Respected Clinician, Educator and Mentor

The Rutgers University psychology community, along with colleagues across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is mourning the death of Dr. Kelly Moore, a respected psychologist, educator, clinician, mentor and mental health leader whose career was dedicated to supporting individuals, families and future generations of psychologists.

Dr. Moore’s passing was announced by the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP), where she had deep professional and academic ties. Her death has prompted tributes from colleagues, former students, friends and members of the professional communities she served.

Beyond her accomplishments, Moore is being remembered as a wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend and mentor whose warmth and ability to connect with people complemented an accomplished career in psychology.

Dr. Kelly Moore’s Career at Rutgers GSAPP

Dr. Moore’s relationship with Rutgers GSAPP began years before she became a member of its faculty.

She graduated from the school’s Clinical Psychology doctoral program in 2011, establishing the foundation for a career that would eventually bring her back to Rutgers as an educator and leader.

In December 2020, Moore returned to GSAPP as a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Psychological Services.

Her leadership included expanding the center’s outreach and services, strengthening relationships between Rutgers and surrounding communities, and helping train developing mental health professionals.

For students who encountered Moore as a professor, supervisor or mentor, her influence extended beyond formal coursework. Her work helped prepare future practitioners for careers that would place them in positions to support countless other individuals and families.

Clinical Work and Moore Wellness

Outside Rutgers, Dr. Moore maintained a private practice and consulting business through Moore Wellness, LLC.

Her clinical work included treating youth and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma and perinatal disorders. An important element of her professional approach was providing psychological care through a lens of cultural humility.

Before returning to GSAPP, Moore worked with Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care’s Children’s Center for Resilience and Trauma Recovery.

She served as Principal Investigator and Program Manager for the SAMHSA-funded center, where the work focused on strengthening trauma-informed services for children and families.

Her career therefore combined several important areas of psychology: direct clinical care, education, research, professional training, community engagement and mentorship.

Recognition for Leadership and Mentorship

Dr. Moore’s contributions earned recognition from organizations within the psychology profession.

In 2026, she received the NJPA Stanley Moldawsky Mentor Award, recognizing her work as a mentor.

She was also honored with the NCSPP-ERDC Award for Excellence in Advancing Ethnic and Racial Diversity.

A year earlier, in 2025, Moore was selected to participate in the American Psychological Association’s Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology, reflecting her growing leadership role within the profession.

These honors represented different dimensions of a career devoted not only to practicing psychology but also to strengthening the profession for those who would follow her.

Contributions to Psychology and Trauma-Informed Care

Dr. Moore also contributed to psychological literature and professional education.

She co-authored Racial Trauma in Black Clients: Effective Practice for Clinicians and contributed a chapter to Culturally Informed Approaches to Behavioral and Educational Assessment.

Her expertise was shared through conferences, educational programs, podcasts, professional training and other public-facing opportunities.

Moore additionally taught within Rutgers’ Juvenile Justice and Youth Development programs and served as a national trainer in the Attachment, Regulation, and Competency framework, which is used in work involving complex trauma.

Through these different roles, her knowledge reached people well beyond her own classroom or clinical practice.

A Mentor Who Helped Others Grow

Mentorship became one of the defining aspects of Dr. Moore’s professional legacy.

Training a psychologist involves more than teaching clinical techniques. Mentors can influence how developing professionals understand ethics, compassion, cultural differences and the responsibilities that accompany caring for people experiencing difficult circumstances.

Moore’s recognition for mentorship reflected the importance of this part of her career.

The professionals she taught and supported can now carry those lessons into their own practices, classrooms and communities, allowing her influence to continue through another generation.

Service Beyond Rutgers

Dr. Moore’s commitment to community extended outside her clinical and university responsibilities.

In 2025, she helped establish the GSAPP Book Club, creating another opportunity for members of the academic community to connect and engage in meaningful discussion.

She was also an active member of the Pi Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and served as President of the Burlington County chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc.

These roles reflected a life in which professional leadership and community involvement frequently intersected.

Dr. Kelly Moore’s Family

Despite an extensive professional career, Rutgers GSAPP remembered Dr. Moore’s family as her greatest source of pride and joy.

She is remembered alongside her husband, Melvin, and their three sons, Miles, Mason and Matthew.

Personal tributes have also remembered Kelly as a beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, sorority sister and friend.

Those memories provide another perspective on her life beyond professional titles and awards. Friends have recalled her warm demeanor, calming presence and vibrant personality, as well as personal interests and shared experiences, including her love of Beyoncé.

For those closest to her, these private memories will remain an especially important part of how Kelly is remembered.

Dr. Kelly Moore Cause of Death

The information available regarding Dr. Kelly Moore’s passing does not provide a confirmed cause of death.

No specific illness, accident, medical condition or other circumstance should therefore be attributed to her death without confirmation from her family or another authorized source.

Her family’s privacy should be respected while friends, colleagues and members of the psychology community mourn her passing.

Remembering Dr. Kelly Moore

Dr. Moore leaves behind a professional legacy that reaches across several areas of psychology.

There are the patients and families she supported through clinical work, the students she taught, the professionals she mentored, the colleagues she worked alongside and the communities she served.

There are also the programs she helped strengthen and the professional knowledge she contributed through writing, teaching and training.

Her impact will continue through those individuals and institutions.

Most importantly, however, she leaves behind a family and circle of loved ones for whom her absence is deeply personal.

As the Rutgers, New Jersey and Pennsylvania psychology communities continue to mourn, heartfelt condolences are extended to Dr. Kelly Moore’s husband, children, relatives, friends, students, colleagues and everyone whose life was touched by her work.

Dr. Kelly Moore will be remembered as a dedicated psychologist, educator, clinician and mentor whose influence reached far beyond the walls of a classroom or clinical office. The knowledge she shared, professionals she encouraged and relationships she built remain an enduring part of her legacy.

Disclaimer

This obituary is based on information available at the time of publication. Details concerning Dr. Kelly Moore’s death and cause of death should be confirmed through her family or other authorized sources. Biographical and professional information may be updated if additional confirmed details become available. This article is intended for general informational and memorial purposes and should not be treated as an official family obituary or medical statement.