Education

PhD, Communication, UWisconsin-Milwaukee, expected graduation 2015
MA, Communication, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, 2009

BA, Speech Communication, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, 2007, cum laude with High Departmental Distinction

Focus of Graduate Studies

Katherine is a 4th year doctoral candidate studying interpersonal and health communication across health care situations and family relationships. Her dissertation is a grounded theory study that examines how parental caregivers manage uncertainty, hope, and hopelessness during the treatment period of a child’s chronic condition.

Research Interests

Katherine’s research interests lie at the intersection of interpersonal and health communication, with a focus on how patients and families manage and cope with chronic illness and end-of-life issues. I use both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine my research. Through this line of research, I plan to develop and implement intervention programs that better equip patients and families across health care situations. Katherine also works as a research assistant in the Patient Advocacy and Research Lab for Katie Mosack, PhD (Department of Psychology).

Teaching Experiences

At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Katherine has taught Health Communication (Communication 381) and Interpersonal Communication (Communication 101). At the University of Illinois, she taught Introduction to Public Speaking (Speech Communication 100) and Persuasive Speaking (Communication 321). Katherine has also taught two reading enrichment courses for high school freshman through seniors for Upward Bound College Preparatory Institute (Champaign, IL) and Midtown Educational Foundation (Chicago, IL).

Relevant Professional Service Activities/Non-academic Career Background:

For two years Katherine worked as a McKing contractor for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). She was a member of the Communication Surveillance and Evaluation Team in the Emergency Risk Communication Branch (ERCB). Katherine’s role included the creation and coordination of daily communication surveillance reports for several federal public health crises, including the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, 2010 Haiti Earthquake, 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. She also participated in several evaluation and research projects for CDC and CDC partners.