Caitlin Coad

2nd year graduate student

"I was introduced to the field of folklore when a love for music led me to an internship at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Then after I graduated, I read Barre Toelken's The Dynamics of Folklore, and that's when the idea of pursuing a Masters in Folk Studies first occurred to me..."

 

Educational Highlights:

Caitlin earned her B.A. in English from University of California Santa Barbara, achieving high honors and distinction in her major. Many of her English professors at UCSB taught their courses from an ethnographic perspective, and those tended to be my favorite. Caitlin said she began to see literature, and art, as a way for the lesser known stories to be told. She spent a year after college working at an independent concert promotion company called BRE Presents, based in New Jersey.

 

Next at WKU:

Caitlin is interested in public folklore and intersections between public folklore and historic preservation. She is currently exploring digital media and archiving, and how to use these tools to engage people in the folklore of their communities. 

 

On the Inside:

Caitlin is originally from Los Angeles, but grew up mainly in Philadelphia. As a child, Caitlin wanted to be an actress or performer of some kind, so she used to orchestrate living room concerts/pageants/rallies pretty often with her little sister. She enjoys going to the beach, spending time with friends and family, reading, seeing live music, good movies, and tv shows. Her favorite meals come from Mexican, Cuban, and Indian restaurants.