Katherine (Katie) Pietrucha

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Bio
Katie Pietrucha graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. She discovered a passion for conservation while conducting undergraduate research in the upper peninsula of Michigan. There, Katie explored the effects of anthropogenic noise on chipmunk communication. Her growing knowledge of the impacts humans have on wildlife inspired a career in environmental protection. Soon after this experience, Katie developed an interest in film as a medium for sharing her love of nature with others. She earned a Master of Arts in Film and Video from American University in 2014 and worked as a freelance videographer for the Student Conservation Association. Katie also interned for environmental nonprofits in Washington, DC including the Consortium for Ocean Leadership and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. More recently, she has leveraged her communication skills to optimize social media strategy and manage operations for a wide range of clients. At Bren, Katie plans to specialize in Conservation Planning and Coastal Marine Resources Management with a Communication focus. She hopes to find creative and engaging ways to connect the public to nature and inspire them to become advocates in their own communities.