Catherine is a Ph.D. student in Ecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; she is also a PADI Divemaster. Prior to beginning her Ph.D. in 2015, she spent several years working in marine conservation and education after receiving her B.A. in Biology from Connecticut College in 2013. Her career goals lie at the interface between effective science, policy, and community-based conservation. Catherine seeks to combine her passion for the oceans with skills in ecology, social science, and scuba diving to inspire increased ocean stewardship among local communities in tropical regions.