Kathryn Frens

Growing up, Kathryn Frens spent summers on Lake Macatawa, where she noticed blooms of purple loosestrife spreading along the shoreline. By the time she graduated high school, the purple stands were contracting, and she heard about ecologists’ release of loosestrife beetles to control the invasive plant. This experience introduced her to the idea of science as a method for fixing real‐world problems — and as a problem solver and nature lover, she was hooked.

It was this sense of practicality, as well as her passion for solving problems in the public interest, that drew Kathryn to PSC, where she works as a consultant on the energy and environment team. She conducts research and produces reports for clients, supports meeting facilitation and planning, and assists in proposal development. She also serves as a grant manager for the Great Lakes Fishery Trust in the Access, Research, and Habitat programs.

Kathryn comes to PSC most recently from the National Marine Fisheries Service, where she led implementation of her office’s bycatch reduction activities, coordinated the national Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program, and conducted research into issues around ecosystem‐based fishery management.