She received her bachelor's degree in English from Wesleyan University; her master's in Adolescent Education from St. John's University; and her doctorate in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Before coming to Rutgers GSE, Kelly was an Adjunct Lecturer at Medgar Evers College, The City University of New York; a Lead Instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University; and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Boston University. She began her career as an English Language Arts teacher working in urban schools including New York schools. Kelly's research focuses on critical media literacy as a lens through which young people can better understand, navigate, and influence their social and cultural environments. In particular, she focuses on adolescent critical literacy development and hip-hop pedagogies.