Kelly graduated with her Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2020. Before starting at Duke, she spent a year doing animal behavior research with the North Carolina Zoo. Her current master’s project involves analyzing camera trap data from a tropical forest in Belize to compare reduce impact logged forests to undisturbed forests to investigate if RIL is a sustainable alternative to traditional logging. She hopes to someday work with the NPS or the FWS on conservation projects.