About Dr. Clark
Catherine Helm-Clark, Ph.D. (press byline: Catie Clark) is an award-winning journalist currently writing for the Idaho Business Review. She was the second-runner-up for Idaho Reporter of the Year for 2021. Her other press awards include photography, graphics, opinion writing, business writing, health care writing and investigative reporting.
Dr. Clark started blogging in 2012, including work which has appeared on listverse.com. She has also designed and coded several blogging and business websites, including both content and graphics. For examples of science-oriented blog posts, check out Dr. Clark’s demonstration science blog site at gnarlyscience.com.
Dr. Clark has published in the Journal of Applied Geophysics, Vadose Zone Journal, the Transactions of the Geothermal Resources Council and the American Geophysical Union, peer-reviewed publications of the U.S. DOE, and various symposium proceedings. She was first author on a borehole geophysics paper which was one of the top-10 downloaded papers for the Journal of Applied Geophysics in 2004. Her 25 year career in science and engineering started with wireline surveys of wells at hazardous waste sites in California in 1986. She still consults for a small number of clients in borehole geophysics and in forensic geology, including on the famous Susan Powell murder case.
Dr. Clark’s media experience began in college with the encouragement of her copywriter mother. She ran her own advertising and graphic arts side business producing magazine ads, posters and flyers while in college and grad school. Her first feature article in history, art and region-specific magazines was published in 1986. Her first professional blog sale was in 2016. She is also a co-author of the Idaho National Laboratory interpretive display at the Highway US-20 rest stop outside of Arco, Idaho.
Dr. Clark has been OSHA HazWopper certified since 1988. She is a member of the American Geophysical Union and the Association of Health Care Journalists. She has a B.A. in Geological Science with honors from Northwestern University, an M.S. in Geophysics from Caltech and a Ph.D. in Geology from UCDavis.
Dr. Clark has been known to collect the occasional rock or mineral; build questionable electronic gizmos; enter paintings into art shows; run off to participate in historical reenactments; go kayaking or go fishing or both. She lives in Idaho with too many cats, too many books, too many rocks, a very fuzzy dog and a very patient husband.