After qualifying as a civil engineer in 1982, Kathryn worked in the Road Design section of Laois County Council on the route selection stage of the now constructed M7 and M8. Following this she obtained an M.Eng.Sc from NUIG. She continued working in the intervening years as a civil engineering consultant in both Galway and Sligo specialising in planning, construction and litigation engineering. She began lecturing in IT Sligo in 1985 in the following areas, Civil Engineering Materials, Geotechnical Engineering and Structures. Her research interests include concrete technology, particularly improving concrete durability and performance using pozzolanic materials and high performance concrete