Prior to becoming a higher education faculty member, Dr. Katherine Gilligan taught ten years in the P-12 setting.  She served as a special education teacher in the elementary, middle, high and post-high school levels. Her areas of interest include special education, inclusion, assessment, and literacy. She continues to serve as a special education teacher and teacher leader in Sumner County School System at a middle school.

Dr. Gilligan is actively involved in a variety of professional organizations, including the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), The American Association for Teaching and Curriculum (AATC), and the Mid-Western Educational Research Association (MWERA).

At Cumberland University, Dr. Gilligan teaches undergraduate courses for candidates seeking teacher licensure.  She teaches courses related to literacy.  Dr. Gilligan often presents current research projects at professional conferences.

Dr. Gilligan lives in Sumner County with her husband of 9 years, Thomas.  They have three children, Annalise, Theodore and Bernadette, one dog, two cats, three pigs, seven goats, one cow and nineteen chickens.