From Sophia Rommel
Katherine was an incredibly kind, supportive, and intelligent person, whom I deeply respected as a philosopher and as a wonderful human being. She was one of the first people to speak to me in the Philosophy Department at St Andrews when I was in my first year. What astounded me was that Katherine was interested in my ideas and wellbeing, despite me being just one of many undergraduate students. Her interest in and care for students was something I continued to notice and appreciate as the years went by – many of my friends and peers have remarked how kind and supportive they found Katherine.
During my time as Philosophy School President, I had the privilege of finding out more about just how much Katherine had done for the Philosophy Department and its students. The positive impact she has made on people, especially her students, will never ever be forgotten. Both the undergraduate and PhD student feedback I read often commended Katherine’s excellent teaching and friendly personality.
To this day, I am still amazed at how much Katherine was able to do simultaneously. Katherine truly inspires me, as she was not only an extremely distinguished and passionate philosopher but also a highly engaged member of the wider St Andrews community, who always supported equality, diversity, and inclusion. Her genuine interest in her subject, in life and its many puzzles, and in other people is something everyone can learn from.
I have three favourite memories of Katherine, which I would like to share. The first one is when Katherine gave a talk for us at the Philosophy Society on the imposter syndrome. Her talk was fascinating and resonated with a large percentage of the audience. Many students loved this event. Katherine’s presentation really highlighted her deep passion for her research. The second memory is when I bumped into Katherine and her husband in town, after not having seen Katherine in a while. Katherine remembered exactly what I had been working on and asked me many questions about how I was doing. Her kindness and care meant a lot to me. The final memory is when Katherine sent me an email not too long ago expressing her concern for university students’ wellbeing during the pandemic. Despite everything Katherine had to deal with in the final year of her life, she found the time and the energy to worry about students. Katherine always wanted the best for her students; she always put her students first.
My deepest condolences to Katherine’s family and loved ones during this extremely difficult time.