Kelly earned her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1995 and her BA from Wells College in 1987. Her research often uses dynamic models to understand international conflict processes. She has published on topics such as war contagion, power relationships, global democratic peace, democratic survival, gender and violence, and gender in the academy. She won the Best Book in Conflict Processes Award (2000-2001) from the American Political Science Association, the Susan Northcutt Award (2016) from the International Studies Association, and the Outstanding Teacher Award from the University of Iowa Honors Program (2006-2007). She is a former editor of International Studies Review. Her work has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, Conflict Management and Peace Science, International Studies Quarterly, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, International Interactions, and International Studies Perspectives. She is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Iowa.

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