She/Her/Hers
Instructional Design and Development
Academic Effectiveness
• PhD in Geography, University of Kansas, 2023
• Graduate Certificate in Environmental Assessment, University of Kansas, 2021
• MA in Geography, University of Kansas, 2019
• BA in History and English, Northern State University, 2016
• Instructional Designer, Instructional Design and Development, University of Northern
Colorado, 2025-present
• Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study
of (In)Equality (IRISE), University of Denver, 2023-2025
• Instructor & Teaching Assistant, Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science,
University of Kansas 2016-2023
• Curriculum Coordinator, Haskell Environmental Research Studies (HERS) Institute,
University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University, 2019-2021
My path to instructional design has been interdisciplinary and shaped by a deep commitment
to equity in education. Trained as a cultural geographer, my early research focused
on environmental policy and issues of marginalization, particularly among Indigenous
communities. As I developed and taught geography courses, I became increasingly interested
in questions of equity and access within higher education itself and how course design,
technology, and pedagogy can either reinforce or reduce barriers to learning.
This curiosity led me to the field of instructional design, where I could bring together
my research background, teaching experience, and passion for inclusive learning environments.
My current areas of interest include digital accessibility, backward design, and strategies
that promote significant learning across disciplines. I am especially interested in
how intentional design can foster engagement and belonging for diverse learners.
The interdisciplinary nature of my academic training continues to shape my approach
to collaboration with faculty across fields, supporting them in creating engaging,
accessible, and high-quality learning experiences for all students.
Grote, Katie M., 2024. “Indigenous Peoples and the Power(lessness) of Public Participation: Assessing effects of Indigenous community input in the Alaskan Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program environmental impact statement.” Environmental Science and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103787
Grote, Katie M., 2022. “Controlling the Narrative: Critiquing the Geopolitical Narratives of U.S. Environmental Impact Assessments and Exclusion of Indigenous Communities.” Environment and Planning F: Philosophy, Theory, Models, Methods and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/26349825221123571
Grote, Katie M., and Jay T. Johnson. 2021. “Pipelines, Protectors, and Settler Colonialism: Media Representations of the Dakota Access Pipeline Protest.” Settler Colonial Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/2201473X.2021.1999008
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