Katherine is a Professor in the ANU's School of Cybernetics, the Institute for Water Futures and the Fenner School of Environment and Society. Katherine's current research work focusses on collaborative approaches to policy, action and education for sustainable development. In this field, she has recently worked in Europe and the Asia-Pacific on projects related to international science and technology cooperation, water governance, cybernetics and AI-enabled systems, risk management, sustainable urban development, politics and cultures of innovation, and climate change adaptation. Katherine has produced over 100 academic and policy-relevant publications including 4 books and a diverse range of book chapters, papers, reports, submissions and edited collections.

In management and cooperation building roles, Katherine is President of the Australian-French Association for Research and Innovation (AFRAN) Inc. Katherine has previously worked as the Associate Dean (Education) in the ANU College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics and in the ANU's Centre for European Studies, Centre for Policy Innovation and the H.C. Coombs Policy Forum at the Crawford School of Public Policy on a range of Australian Public Service - ANU and international cooperation projects, including the PACE-Net and PACE-Net+ EU projects on developing Pacific-European bi-regional dialogue on science, technology and innovation. Katherine was convenor of the ANU Master of Applied Cybernetics (2019-2022) and has previously taught executive development courses for the Australian National Institute for Public Policy (ANIPP) on multi-level governance and convened Masters and undergraduate courses in the Fenner School on Environmental Policy and Participatory Resource Management. 

Katherine has received many awards and honours for her work including a John Monash Scholarship and being elected as a Fellow of the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust. She has served on the ACT (2009-2011, 2015-2016) and National (2013-2014) Selection Panels for the John Monash Scholarships. Katherine currently serves as a member of the National Committee on Water Engineering (Engineers Australia), director and board member of the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust, a member of the Initiatives of the Future of Great Rivers and is the Editor of the Australasian Journal of Water Resources.