Prior to her work at the U.S. Institute, Kirk developed and coordinated the environmental conflict resolution program at The University of Arizona's Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, where she conducted research, taught, and directed several conflict management and public involvement projects involving water resources, endangered species, and western range policies. Kirk has taught graduate and undergraduate courses on conflict resolution and environmental law and has written on environmental mediation, land use law, and environmental policy. She received the William Anderson Award from the American Political Science Association for her dissertation on regulatory takings and state property rights laws in 1998.