Kelly is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Physics in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Harvard University. She completed her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard in 2015. Prior to that, she received a Master's in Physics from the University of Vermont and completed her undergraduate education at McGill University.

Before graduate school, Kelly taught middle and high school science at various schools in Toronto, Rosseau, Montreal, and Vermont. She spent a year sailing around the world while teaching physics for Class Afloat, an experiential education program for high school students onboard a tall ship.

While teaching high school physics, Kelly developed a passion for teaching and scholarship in education. Her Ph.D. focussed on the use of technology and interactive teaching strategies in undergraduate physics classrooms. At Harvard, Kelly teaches interactive, project-based courses in both physics and engineering. She is also a co-founder of Perusall, a collaborative reading platform to help get students prepared for class.