Katie studied Zoology at Ohio State University and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Wildlife Science from Purdue University. She has a PhD in Forest Resources, Wildlife Ecology and Management from West Virginia University. Katie became a follower of Jesus on a national wildlife refuge in Maryland at the age of 26. She worked for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship before becoming an Environmental Biology professor at Bethel College in 2004.

In 2013, Katie felt the Lord calling her to the Muslim world, so she moved to Tajikistan where she lived for 4 years, working with an international non-governmental organization providing relief and development opportunities to the people of Tajikistan.

Katie returned to the US in 2017, and returned to Bethel University this past August. She loves teaching students and is passionate about spiritual formation, prayer, missions, and the care of creation.