Katie Peterson Ph.D.

Katie Petersen loves learning and has more than 15 years of experience in the education field including roles at nonprofits, living museums, nature centers and higher education institutes.
She shared that her biggest challenge — and accomplishment — was defending her doctoral dissertation. She credits her support system of colleagues and friends who helped from near and far, as well as her family, who have been her biggest encouragement.
Peterson served with the AmeriCorps, which ultimately brought her to Idaho where she taught at the McCall Outdoor Science School.
“This experience solidified my professional journey in education,” she explained.
She is a first-generation college student and holds an undergraduate degree in biology, a graduate degree from the University of Idaho, and went on to complete her Ph.D. there in biology, where she graduated in 2021.
“I successfully defended my Ph.D. while teaching full time at a college during a global pandemic,” she said. “Since then, I have created a high-quality education program in the Treasure Valley with great professional staff, high staff retention and serves 10,000 learners annually. I have secured over $260,000 in external funding in the past three years to help develop programs that financially support staff, cover program fees and purchase supplies.”
Today, as the education director at Idaho Botanical Garden, Peterson says that she lives by a simple, but impactful motto: Be kind, be yourself and be a helper.
“Learning happens every day and I am passionate about supporting others on their journey,” she said. “I have had many influential educators and mentors in my life that supported me in my educational and professional trajectory. I have a high attention to detail and put myself in the shoes of the people I am serving to ensure a program sets all up for success.”
Peterson has also worked to make sure others can be successful as well, said Hannah Zwak, the education manager at Idaho Botanical Garden, and Kathleen Li, the former education manager, in a letter of recommendation.
“Katie’s determination and leadership to operate professionally within her department has led her to seek new ways of finding and hiring qualified candidates,” they wrote. “[She] provides training that invests time and finances to ensure employees are set up for success and can learn and grow within the job.”
Kirsten Teegarden, marketing and communications manager for Your Health Idaho and the former director of senior services for IBG, echoed Zwak’s and Li’s statement.
“Katie encourages ongoing professional development for her staff,” Teegarden said. “She found several low-cost or no-cost workshops and in-service opportunities for full-time and seasonal staff to attend. The return of several seasonal summer staff year-over-year is a testament to the positive and nurturing environment that Katie creates.”
Community involvement outside of her daily work is also important to Peterson. She has experience serving as an arboretum coordinator for Arboretum Associations, Science Saturdays, was a representative for the Department of Biological Sciences and a Travel Awards committee member and was involved with the University of Idaho Graduate Professional Student Association.
In nomination materials for Peterson, Shaunalee Shipman said that at the heart of Peterson’s work is a deep belief that education in nature should be accessible, engaging and community-informed.
“The reach of Katie’s work is both broad and deep,” Shipman said. “Thousands of children participate in summer camps, Garden events and year-round classes, gaining hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, art and math — all through a natural lens. More importantly, these children walk away with a stronger connection to the environment, greater curiosity and new confidence. By consistently centering accessibility in her work, Katie ensures the Garden is a resource for the entire community. Her thoughtful leadership has helped the Education Department make a meaningful impact on hundreds of families across the Treasure Valley.”