Riverland Community College

Sue Knoll - Biology Faculty
Phone: 507-433-0833

Jill Wagner Biology Faculty
507-433-0693

Catherine Haslag - Chemistry Faculty
Phone: 507-433-0831

About Catherine

Originally from Missouri, Catherine holds a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from Missouri State University. She has worked in the educational field for more than 20 years as a tutor, mentor, and faculty. After working six years in the environmental field, Catherine decided to re-enter the educational profession full-time and accepted a position as a chemistry faculty at Riverland Community College, where she currently teaches.

During her time in Austin, Catherine has served multiple organizations and committees, including Austin Aspires, the Pillars of the Community, the AAUW, the Hormel Institute Community Advisory Board, the Austin Area Foundation Board of Directors, and as the chair of the Academic Affairs and Standards Council at Riverland Community College. In addition, Catherine was honored by the Rotary Club International, Austin, MN Chapter as Educator of the year in 2015 and by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees as an Outstanding Educator in 2020 and 2022.

Catherine began volunteering as a judge for the local science fair shortly after arriving in Minnesota and noticed students needed assistance with their projects. As a result, she founded The Science Fair Mentoring Project in 2014, a 501(c)(3) organization, to help address barriers students experience in participating in the science fair. Catherine is a change agent with a passion for education and makes science education accessible and engaging for all learners.