Catherine earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Western Washington University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Washington. Following postdoctoral research at the University of Iowa, she began her industrial career with DuPont, where she worked in research and development roles supporting advanced materials and technology innovation.

Catherine has more than 15 years of experience in project and program management across semiconductor, healthcare, and technology organizations and has been a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2011. In 2023, she returned to the University of Iowa Department of Chemistry. She is passionate about helping students connect chemistry concepts to real-world applications and preparing them for diverse career paths in science and industry.