Kate Martini

Dr. Kate Martini is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Western Michigan University and a member of the industrial organizational behavior management graduate program.

Before joining the faculty at WMU, Dr. Martini held a sustainability specialist position with one of the nation’s largest craft breweries. She developed and managed energy efficiency and waste diversion programs, led employee focus groups, and served as liaison for the brewery’s utility providers. While in this role, she implemented the area’s first customer-facing restaurant compost program and received a grant to develop a recycling co-op, providing the first outlet for local brewers to recycle grain bags.

During her time at WMU, Dr. Martini worked for the university’s Office for Sustainability where she implemented campus-wide energy reduction initiatives, recycling programs, waste handling systems, and assisted with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification auditing. She served on the President’s Universitywide Sustainability Committee and the Climate Action Plan Committee. She researched the impacts of real-time electricity consumption feedback on building-wide energy use, and the recommendations from her research on waste bin design and signage have been incorporated into the university’s construction policies. 

Dr. Martini holds a certificate in Environmental Communications from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and has completed Building Operator Training through the Building Operator Certification (BOC). 

Dr. Martini will be considering graduate applications for fall 2025.