Katie is originally from Chesapeake, Virginia. She completed her Bachelor of Science Degree with Honors in Marine Biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in Wilmington, North Carolina. After participating in a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates internship at the University of Alaska Anchorage, along with numerous research projects during her undergraduate years, she decided to pursue her Ph.D. at Baylor University under Dr. Stephen Trumble. Her research interests include marine mammal anatomy and physiology, diving physiology, and more specifically, the potential repercussions of fluctuating prey populations on lipid utilization in marine mammals.