Kate is the Director of Academic Relations for Advising and Student Success for the College of Arts & Science. Kate first joined Arts & Sciences in 2016 as a student worker, then started full-time in 2018. She has two degrees from Mississippi State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies degree in 2018. She then completed her Master of Science in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Student Affairs and Higher Education degree in 2022.

In her current role, Kate supports college-level initiatives for academic advising and student success. She advises for 2 degree programs in Arts & Sciences – Interdisciplinary Studies and Liberal Arts. She also serves as one of the directors for the College of Arts & Sciences Program for Academic Support and Success (CASPASS), which supports students who have faced academic setbacks.

She married her husband, Jeremy Sawaya, in the spring of 2018. Together they have two dogs and two cats. In her spare time, Kate enjoys baking, spending time with family and friends, and volunteering in Starkville.