Mikayla Mace Kelley earned her bachelor's degree in 2015 from the University of Arizona in neuroscience and cognitive science and minored in astronomy. While working on her master's degree in science journalism, Kelley worked as a graduate teaching assistant for the UofA's Department of Astronomy. After graduating in 2017, she began working as a Science and Higher Education Reporter at the Arizona Daily Star. In 2019, she returned to the UofA as a Science Writer for University Marketing & Communications where she worked to translate and disseminate research of all kinds via press releases, press conferences, short videos, and more. She has written a book chapter titled "Media Coverage of Space Science and Exploration" for the Palgrave Handbook of Science and Health Journalism (2024).
She has served as the Public Information Officer of the Planetary Science Institute for one year. Here, she oversees news content, the newsletter, social media, and the annual report.