Katie has always been driven to inform environmental management and improve conservation outcomes. As a decision scientist, Katie draws on her ecological research experience and her facilitation skills to help groups structure their decisions and find collaborative solutions to complex natural resource management problems—especially those characterized by limited data, scientific uncertainty, and difficult trade-offs.
Katie joined the Compass team in 2021. She holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri (US) and a BS in Biology from Oakland University (Michigan, US). She also earned an Expert Certification in Decision Analysis from the USFWS National Conservation Training Center. She has a strong technical background, particularly in ecological modeling, Bayesian population analyses, and spatial ecology. Katie has also facilitated and designed collaborative processes for multi-stakeholder groups in a wide range of decision contexts, including endangered species conservation, invasive species management, and groundwater withdrawal mitigation.