About Me

Cathy Rath completed her education at UC Santa Barbara and San Francisco State University. In 2010, she joined the SFSU faculty as an adjunct professor in the public health department. For the past 10 years, she has taught Women’s Health, extending its reach in 2013-2015 to graduate students participating in SFSU’s Post Baccalaureate health promotions program. Cathy added Community Organizing in Community Health to her course repertoire in 2015. A writing coach and tutor from middle school to the graduate school level, Cathy also provides copyediting and grant-writing services to SFSU faculty. 

A SFSU alumnus, Cathy’s thesis in health and social justice curriculum evaluation was published by the American Public Health Association. As a social justice advocate and organizer, she led public health campaigns at Planned Parenthood and Transforming Communities, where her innovative approach to violence prevention was published by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. Her efforts to reduce violence against women earned her the 2000 Millennium Leadership Award by the Marin Independent Journal. 

Ripple Effect is her first novel. Ms. Rath resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

"Writing has been both a career and personal passion. As a professor and advocate in my non-profit work, I have witnessed profound shifts in attitudes, beliefs and behaviors through the power of storytelling." -Cathy Rath