Kathleen Masterson
Environment Reporter
Kathleen Masterson has always loved the many intersections of art and science. In college she studied English and Environmental Studies and was torn as to which one she'd have to "choose" when finding a job. She taught high school English for a few years, and then studied science journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There she wrote for a local newspaper, and also produced several film "shorts," including two about ecotourism in the Bolivian Amazon basin.
After graduate school Kathleen worked for several years on NPR's science desk as a digital producer, writing about topics ranging from evolution to climate change to mental health. Drawn by an interest in agriculture and land use, she became a reporter at Iowa Public Radio and Harvest Public Media. Kathleen has written stories on farming's impact on water quality, women farmers, the bee colony collapse disorder, frack sand mining in the Midwest, and food safety issues. She's excited to bring all these diverse experiences together to cover the environment beat in California.