After growing up in Indiana and Massachusetts, Urry attended college at Tufts University, double-majoring in mathematics and physics,[4] graduating in 1977.

[10] Urry has been active in addressing sex inequality in astronomy and science more generally, giving more than 60 talks on the topic,[5] including at the annual Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP).

[4] This meeting produced the "Baltimore Charter," which was drafted by Sheila Tobias and eventually endorsed by the Council of the American Astronomical Society.

[7][11] Reducing the prevalence of sexual harassment in astronomy was also an area of focus for Urry during the time she was President of the American Astronomical Society.

She and her research group participated in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to investigate the growth of supermassive black holes.