Catherine E. Bahn
Catherine is a writer, photographer, and researcher. Her current research uses photography and story maps to explore place and place attachment in public lands and waterways. Her ongoing work focuses on Crowley’s Ridge, which spans Missouri and Arkansas, the Eleven Point Scenic River in Missouri, and Norfork Lake (the North Fork of the White River), located in Missouri and Arkansas. She is also a communication consultant, adjunct communication instructor, and founder of Falling Spring Publishing.
Catherine spent her early career in communication and leadership roles for several nonprofit organizations in the Mid-South, including serving as the co-director of Together for Hope, Ark., which focused on childhood literacy and youth development in Phillips County, Ark. After almost a decade of work in nonprofits, Catherine started a new adventure in sustainable agriculture at Lucky Star Farm near the Buffalo National River in Rush, Ark. From there, she returned to school to complete an M.A. in Communication Studies while working as the music librarian at 91.9 FM KASU, graduate assistant, and research assistant for The Awareness Myth.
Catherine joined the Arkansas State University Department of Communication faculty in 2017. She served as the program director of strategic communication for Arkansas State Online Services until 2023, developing programs in nonprofit communication, social media management, and global strategic communication. She designed and taught more than 13 courses in strategic writing, strategic visual communication, branding, social media, data visualization, research, and development communication. Her stories and photographs have been published in local and regional newspapers, magazines, and online publications.
Catherine and her 10-year-old mutt, Fancy, spend their winters hiking Crowley’s Ridge and the Eastern Ozarks, their springs and falls navigating the region’s countless streams, and their summers mostly indoors.