Katie was a loving mother and wife, dedicated friend, and widely respected by her colleagues in the field of epidemiology and public health.

She worked tirelessly to educate and assist high-risk populations that many would find undesirable or unworthy of assistance; Katie's compassion and tolerance was a testiment to her character.

Her deep interest and infatuation with the world's cultures, art, food, and heritage kept her deeply engaged with current events and humanitarian causes.

She had a rebellious side too, one that pushed against the boundaries of cultural norms and challenged the perceptions of her friends and family, as well as fantastic taste in art, books, music, and clothing that she joyfully shared with all those around her.

Katie was born in Coronado, CA in 1975. As a child, she lived in the state of Idaho, then returned to Coronado to attend and graduate from Coronado Middle and High School. She was a fourth-generation Coronado High School graduate with CSF honors, and lettered in soccer and cross-country.

Katie had a natural talent for graphic public arts and was commissioned to paint ocean scenes on many of the public utility boxes around her home town.

Her kindness and zeal for life resulted in lifetime friendships with many of her closest companions from this time.

Katie attended UCLA for her undergraduate, masters and doctorate degrees. It was during her college years that Katie formed some of her most precious and lasting friendships.

B.A. International Development Studies and Anthropology, UCLA (1998)

Masters in Publich Health (MPH) in Community Health and Preventative Medicine, UCLA (2006)

Ph.D in Public Health, UCLA (2019)

Katie was an accomplished researcher and epidemiologist. She was deeply admired by her many colleagues and peers in the public health and prevention community.

She also helped develop future generations of researchers and scholars as an educator, project director, and instructor for institutions such as Cal State Long Beach and University of California, Los Angeles.

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Program Coordinator, CSULB (2000-2004)

LA County Department of Public Health (2004-2005)

Programs Coordinator, Friends Research Institute (2005-2007)

Project Director and Pre-doctoral Fellow, UCLA (2008-2014)

Prevention Fellow, SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (2014-2016)

Research Analyst, LA County Department of Public Health (2017-2020)

Lead Epidemiologist and Evaluator, Institute for Public Strategies (2020-2021)

Epidemiologist for Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, Oregon Health Authority (2021)

Katie and Steve were married in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island in October of 2000 and honeymooned in the Citadel, Calvi, on the Island of Corsica. They enjoyed 21 years together living by the principles of mutual respect, supportiveness, and tolerance; it was a marriage filled with joy, adventure, and tenderness.

They purchased their first home in the Monterey Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles in 2005. Over the following years, they remodeled their tiny "green house" on the hill into a lovely mid-century bungalow. With the addition of Owen to the family in 2009, and Chloe in 2012, larger quarters were needed. After putting down roots in Hawthorne, CA for several years, in 2019 Katie and Steve finally purchased their dream home in Portland, OR where she spent her final days enjoying nature and working for the Oregon Health Authority.

Katie was a devoted mother and wife, and loved to spend time with her family traveling, hiking, working on projects, and curling up on a cold day with a warm blanket and a book. Her presence was an everlasting light that warmed our hearts and home.