Kate was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Ashland, Oregon when she was twelve. She graduated from Ashland High School in 1998. She got her BS in biology from Bates College in Maine and her MS in biology from East Carolina University in North Carolina. Kate's graduate work was in arctic marine ecology but with a move to Arizona, she changed her focus to medical research. She has lived in all four corners of the US - Maine, North Carolina, Arizona and once again, back to Ashland in 2011.

Kate and her husband, David, love raising their three boys in Southern Oregon. Ben is a 6th grader and Oliver a 3rd grader at Siskiyou School and their youngest, Asher, is at a local Waldorf preschool. They stumbled upon the Waldorf curriculum when their oldest, Ben, was three and started preschool. They immediately fell in love with the rich vibrant curriculum and the Waldorf approach to children and learning. Passionate, elegant and developmentally-attuned, the Siskiyou School is a treasure they are grateful their children get to experience.

Kate enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, trail running and playing soccer.