About Cathy
A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Cathy is an independent researcher, professor, cultural worker, and creative focused on power, culture, relations, and change. Formerly Private Principal Investigator for The Center for U.S. Rural Cultures Studies, Cathy currently acts as independent researcher for The Relational Democracy Project.
Cathy earned her Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University in 2005 and afterward taught for Peralta, San Francisco State University, College of Marin, Holy Names University, Southern Oregon University, and called Saint Mary’s College of California her professional home for 8 years. Cathy spent the 7 years (2016–2023) immersed in and studying power relations and norms in a variety of related U.S. cultures.
As a graduate student at Southern Illinois University, Cathy arranged for the first publication of and acted as editor for Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research, which continues to lead as a forum for high quality graduate student scholarship. As a new faculty member at Saint Mary’s College of California, she established and directed a nationally award-winning forensics program. Her popular critical scholarship is published in various books and journals, and she is a San Francisco Commonwealth Club speaker alum. Cathy currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal for Critical Animal Studies and Kaleidoscope.
Cathy can’t live her life without access to trees (@just.trees.yo ) and beautiful trails (@a.tree.and.a.turn @ebrpd). She hikes solo (#30trails30days), and while she’s gone, Sparkles the cat holds down the fort. (@lilfam.one). Proudly a San Francisco Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Saint 🏳️🌈. Available to consut - reach out on LinkedIn.
