Kelly graduated with honors from the University of Chicago in 2015, majoring in International Studies, with a specialization in Human Rights and a minor in History. Her bachelor's thesis (high honors) studied the politicization of the Olympic Movement.
At Columbia and LSE she was advised by Volker Berghahn and Heather Jones, writing her dissertation (with distinction) about the procès d’Oradour and Alsatian malgré nous. A conference paper derived from her MA research won the Western Society for French Studies’ Gargan Prize in 2019. At Columbia she also worked as a student assistant at the Maison Française.
Kelly is currently a PhD candidate in History and French Studies at New York University, where she works with Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Herrick Chapman. Her dissertation investigates how fighting and fighters changed in France due to the particularities of the Second World War. Unique in its consideration of a wide array of different categories of fighters, Kelly’s dissertation is oriented around ideas and values, including loyalty, order, masculinity, citizenship, and courage.
Outside of academia, Kelly plans and leads small group tours for European Experiences in the summer. She has interned at the Queen’s County District Attorney’s office (NYC) as well as for the non-profit Youth Outreach Services.
Kelly speaks French fluently, as well as some Italian and German. She is an avid baseball fan, and loves to travel, read, attend concerts, and befriend cats.
