RESEARCH INTERESTS
Catie is broadly interested in exploring how polymer hydrogel systems can be designed for biomedical applications such as drug delivery.
EDUCATION
PhD, Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University - Expected 2022
BS, Materials Engineering, Iowa State University - December 2016
CATIE KASSE
(formerly Meis)
HONORS, AWARDS, and SCHOLARSHIPS
Stanford Graduate Fellowship (SGF), Stanford University, 2017-2019
Lillie Family Fellow, 2017-2019
Honorable Mention - Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation, 2017
Tau Beta Pi Fellow, 2017
Outstanding Senior, Iowa State University, 2016
College of Engineering Honors Poster Presentation Award, Iowa State University, 2016
Barry Goldwater Scholarship, National Scholarship, 2015
Janice L. Davison Scholarship for Women in Science/Engineering, Iowa State University, 2013 and 2014
Outstanding First-Year Honors Program Member Scholarship, Iowa State University, 2013
University Honors Program Research Grant, Iowa State University, 2013
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Laboratory Intern, Core Technologies, Medtronic PLC, Fridley, Minnesota, Jun 2015 - Aug 2015, May 2016 - Aug 2016, May 2017 - Jul 2017
Research Advisor: Dr. Shawn Kelly, Senior Principal Scientist & Technical Fellow
Supported product development and optimization of implantable glucose sensors by fabricating, testing, and analyzing sensors to investigate factors influencing sensor design and performance
Senior Design Project – Identification of material properties for altering macrophage responses, May 2015 – Aug 2015
Iowa State University and 3M
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kaitlin Bratlie
Company Representative: Dr. Jana Ninkovic
Prepared alginate hydrogels, characterized porosity by swelling ratio and scanning electron microscopy, performed basic cell culture and cell viability assays.
Honors Capstone Project, Iowa State University, Spring 2014 – Fall 2015
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nastaran Hashemi
Designed a concept for a microfluidic “organ-on-a-chip” platform intended to replicate the function of the placenta and started building a prototype. In Spring 2014, independently led and supervised a team of four freshman honors students in the literature research process for the early design stages.
Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program, Summer 2014
Materials Research Science & Engineering Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Theresa Reineke
Utilized standard organic chemistry techniques to synthesize and purify an amino acid-derived monomer for a polymeric drug delivery vehicle; investigated conditions for living polymerization.
Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) Program, Summer 2013
U.S. Department of Energy Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Reza Montazami
Fabricated and characterized stimuli-responsive polymers, specifically ionic electroactive polymer actuators. Assembled and analyzed a simple microfluidic mixing device incorporating these actuators.
ABOUT
Catie grew up in rural Iowa, surrounded by corn and an amazing community, and thoroughly enjoyed the ice cream produced by the local dairy industry. After completing a degree at Iowa State University and spending summers working at a medical technology company in Minnesota, she made the move to sunny California to explore the great outdoors (and also pursue exciting research!). Outside of lab and courses, Catie enjoys running, playing just about any sport, planning hiking adventures, dreaming about the next travel destination, singing, and eating all kinds of food. She is looking forward to fueling her curiosity with all the great opportunities offered at Stanford and the Bay Area.