Dr. Katie Berryhill 

Dr. Katie Berryhill is a distinguished astronomy educator with more than twenty years of educational proficiency, holding an Ed.D. from the University of Wyoming.

Katie holds a full-time position at Los Medanos College and contributes her expertise part-time at Solano Community College. Her journey into higher education was inspired by her parents' illustrious careers in academia; her father served as a college president, while her mother was the founding chair of a department of education.

Beyond the classroom, Katie enjoys indulging in escape rooms with her family and capturing the world through the lens of her photography. Her favorite motto is, "I touch the future—I teach," coined by Christa McAuliffe. 

Katie's unique skill set includes the ability to set and unset any model of digital watch, a talent that once came in handy when friends and family sought assistance with their timepieces. In an alternate reality, she envisions herself as a dolphin trainer; in the realm of world records, she aspires to set one for spotting the most typos—an impressive endeavor.

A bit of advice from Dr. Katie Berryhill to someone just beginning their career as a community college professor:

Kindness goes a long way. Remember a time in your life when someone cut you a break, and pay it forward to your students when the opportunity arises (and tell them that you're doing that, so they appreciate it and may continue to pay it forward). You could change their lives (like someone did for me).

Passionate about improving the higher education landscape, Katie advocates for adjunct instructors, proposing a system that allows them to combine classes from multiple colleges into a full-time position with corresponding pay and benefits. Her unexpected lesson from working in higher education is her newfound love for public speaking, which she considers a surprising revelation considering her shy childhood.

One of her most cherished travel experiences was in Israel, where her family participated in an archaeological dig. It was there that she unearthed an intact water bowl dating back approximately 2100 years, leaving an indelible mark on her memory.