Catherine Leary earned her B.A. at the University of Vermont as a double major in English and Film & Television Studies. She continued her education at UVM in an accelerated master's program in English. She's particularly interested in literary analysis and analyzing media using frameworks like feminist theory. In her graduate program, she explored areas like postcolonial film, adaptation theory and Shakespeare, and women in Gothic literature. She found a passion for student support services through her time as an undergraduate tutor in UVM's Writing Center and her work as a Graduate Research Assistant in UVM's Writing in the Disciplines Office. She came to VCU in 2022 and advised Biology majors until 2026 when she began advising students in African American Studies; Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies; and Philosophy.