Associate Professor of Clinical Physical Therapy Kathryn Havens has evolved from biomedical engineer to anatomy educator and women’s health researcher, inspiring the next generation of movement specialists.

BY JAMIE WETHERBE MA ’04

A COLLEGIATE MARATHON RUNNER AND TRIATHLETE, Kathryn “Kate” Havens MS ’05, PhD ’13 has long been fascinated by the human body.

The native Michigander earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan before an unusual twist brought her to Los Angeles.

“My college boyfriend wanted to live in California,” she says. “So, when I was looking at grad schools, I applied to USC.”

At USC, she pursued a degree in biomedical engineering, and her path shifted slightly after a classmate recommended she take a kinesiology course.

“I was hooked because it brings together many of the things in which I’m interested: engineering, anatomy, biomechanics and movement,” she says. “I fell in love with this lens through which we understand the human body.”

After earning her doctorate, Havens joined USC’s faculty, advancing from assistant to associate professor of clinical physical therapy and teaching anatomy across the DPT program, from foundational musculoskeletal material to applied anatomy courses.

“Anatomy is the most amazing science,” Havens says. “I get to watch our students go from memorizing structures to understanding how it relates to movement, to function and, ultimately, to the patients they’re treating.”

Havens also helps oversee the Division’s dedicated anatomy lab, where she says students gain knowledge that extends far beyond the body.

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“There’s something truly unique about learning from our donors, who have given our students an extraordinary gift,” she says of those who donate their bodies through the USC Anatomical Gift Program. “It teaches not only anatomy, but also respect and humility, and a sense of responsibility that students carry on into their clinical careers.”

Personal Meets Professional

While Havens’ doctoral dissertation work focused on preventing knee injuries in athletes, she shifted her research concentration to perinatal health and biosocial aspects of health after becoming a parent.

“I had this lived experience, and at the same time, was a biomechanist trained to ask questions about movement and function,” she says. “Women go through enormous physiological and biomechanical changes, yet there are so many questions we haven’t answered. I wanted to make a difference in this underexplored, undersupported area of women’s health.”

During her 20-year tenure, Havens’ diverse roles include faculty member, mentor and researcher, but when asked what keeps her at USC, her answer is simple: “The people and the freedom to grow,” Havens says. “I’ve had the opportunity to develop as an educator, take on new challenges and build close connections with people who genuinely care — that’s something I really value.”

Havens says that her approach to educating future movement specialists has been shaped by the mentors who invested in her early in her career and the generations of students she’s mentored and taught since.

“I’ve had extraordinary mentors who taught me what a difference it makes to have a faculty member really see your potential and invest in you,” she adds.

Now, Havens hopes to do the same for the next generation.

“I want to train clinicians who are curious, compassionate and excellent at what they do,” she says. “I hope that those I’ve mentored go on to do things that I never could have imagined.”

Havens’ impact was clear at a recent graduation, when a student led the audience in a mindful breathing exercise — a practice Havens teaches early in her classes.

“To see a student do that at graduation, with hundreds of people in the audience, was so touching,” she says.

A small but meaningful reminder of what students carry with them beyond the classroom.