Cathy is a geographer with particular interests in physical geography and human-environment relationships. She was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois as the last of eight children, and remembers yearly camping trips that exposed her to the natural wonders of the U.S. and brought about her love of nature and travel. Cathy studied biology, geography, and environmental studies at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, and did graduate work in geography at Northern Illinois and Michigan State universities. Her first overseas travel experiences were long study trips to Latin America and Israel. More recent trips include China and France. She is now in St. Peter, Minnesota, teaching in the geography department at Gustavus Adolphus College.