Walsh studied politics and economics at Bennington College, earning a BA in 1985.
[1] In 2005, she became a professor at the University of Virginia, where she was also a co-founder of the Power, Violence and Inequality Collective, which she co-directed from 2016 to 2019.
[2] Walsh wrote the book Women's Rights in Democratizing States: Just Debate and Gender Justice in the Public Sphere, published in 2010.
[3] However, by introducing a new variable regarding debate conditions, and by means of paired comparisons of particular periods of democratization in Poland, Chile, and South Africa, Walsh shows that open and inclusive conditions for debate during democratization periods can increase the state's support for advancements in women's rights and inclusion.
[6] She has also published articles on research ethics,[7] and on the status of women in the discipline of political science.