From the 911 Line to the Front Line of Research - Profile Katheryn Wisely

Before she managed grant portfolios and budgets at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, Katheryn Wisely spent her days on a 911 line, making split-second decisions and juggling multiple emergencies at once while keeping her composure. It is not the résumé most people would expect from a Research Administrator, the role in which she now supports a wide slate of Oden affiliated faculty, including George Biros, Edward Castillo, Robert Moser, Jon Tamir, Philip Varghese, and Renato Zanetti. The same instincts that once guided callers through their worst moments now keep a busy research operation running smoothly.

"My path has been exciting and not very predictable," Katheryn admits. She started toward a biology degree before switching majors halfway through her freshman year and graduating on the Dean's List from Tarleton State University in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in biology. Each of the roles that followed built a piece of the skill set her current position demands. She spent about two years as a retail assistant manager, where she learned to lead and manage a team. Then came the role that she describes as pivotal: a Telecommunications Officer, or 911 dispatcher, working between the emergency communications center in her hometown and Williamson County Emergency Communications in Georgetown.

“I learned very important professional and personal life skills such as time-efficient multitasking, the ability to make informed decisions quickly and under pressure, how to manage multiple moving parts and multiple people simultaneously and efficiently, effective prioritization, time management, and how to implement interpersonal communication to aid in de-escalation during times of stress.”

Dispatching alone, she notes, did not entirely prepare her for research administration. She paired those instincts with new skills as an administrative assistant, supporting the head of the Biology Department at Tarleton State, where she assisted with hiring, balanced student and faculty schedules, hosted guests, and managed faculty budgets for travel and equipment. When a Research Administrator position opened at the Oden Institute, her variety of experience proved valuable for the job she now holds.

A typical day begins with email, in case something high-priority needs immediate attention. She explains that grant proposals take precedence, since the application windows are short. From there, she reviews schedules for conflicts across the week and beyond, keeps a running list of the multi-approval workflows that route back to her so that nothing stalls, and checks the active accounts she manages for her associated faculty. "I always want to make sure I know exactly our funds status," she said. "If, for some reason, there is a problem, it's always best to find it and take care of it sooner rather than later. Otherwise, it can put a lot of stress on everyone involved."

What she finds most rewarding is knowing the work helps advance something larger. "Even though I'm not a computational engineer, my role in managing the details and providing support is integral to the success of their projects," she said. "I'm proud of what I do and strive to make the jobs of all those I support that much easier."

Katheryn first fell in love with research working as a volunteer research assistant in a psychology lab at Texas Christian University (TCU) during her undergraduate days at Tarleton State. "I believe everything is interconnected," she said. "When various disciplines work together for a common goal, the opportunity for great achievement is at its peak." Nearly two years in, she doesn't point to a single accomplishment so much as her ability to adapt. 

Outside the office, the pace slows considerably, and Katheryn unwinds by sketching while listening to history and science podcasts. When the weather cooperates, she takes it all outside for some fresh air. It's a quieter counterpart to the high-stakes rooms she once worked in, but the through-line holds. 

Across a career that has moved from a retail floor to a dispatch center to a research institute, she shares a sense of pride in making a difference in her community. Katheryn has built a career out of steadying the people around her so they can do their best work. "To know that the work I do every day is important and helpful overall is what I enjoy the most," she said.