Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), 2024
Academic Appointments
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Argüelles Research Group, Pennsylvania State University 2020 – 2024
  • Graduate Lecturer, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University 2024
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University 2023
Professional Honors
  • American Society for Nondestructive Testing Fellowship 2023
Professional Affiliations
  • Acoustical Society of America 2021 - Present
  • American Society for Nondestructive Testing 2021 - Present
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2021 - Present

Dr. Katch specializes in the mechanics of materials, with expertise in nondestructive ultrasound evaluation and wave propagation. She has experience in materials characterization, 3D printing techniques, and finite element analysis (FEA) across various industries, including electronics, additive manufacturing, defense, and dairy. Her interdisciplinary background in physics, mechanical engineering, and materials science supports her advanced capabilities in materials characterization and quality control across diverse applications.

Dr. Katch earned her PhD in Engineering Science and Mechanics from the Pennsylvania State University. Her dissertation focused on ultrasonic wave propagation in anisotropic silicon wafers for defect detection. She optimized the experimental detection of back-surface breaking cracks through numerical and analytical modeling. To further improve the inspection setup, Dr. Katch designed and 3D printed custom probe lenses, which enabled higher resolution scanning and greater defect sensitivity. This skillset led to her role as an ultrasound expert within a multi-institutional team studying liquid melt pool solidification in laser-based additive manufacturing. She contributed to experimental design, prototyping, and testing at a synchrotron facility, coupling ultrasound and x-ray techniques. Dr. Katch has also applied her expertise to various other domains. These projects include defect detection in phononic crystals, analysis of engineering design heuristics' impact on part inspectability, and ultrasonic inspection of milk coagulation.