Dr. Cathy Middlecamp is a retired professor in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies where she serves as the faculty co-director of the Community and Environmental Scholars Program and is a member of the CHE community (Center for Culture, History, and the Environment). In addition, Dr. Middlecamp is an affiliate of the Chemistry Department. She did her undergraduate studies at Cornell University (1968-72), graduating Phi Beta Kappa with distinction in all subjects.

She was awarded a Danforth Fellowship for graduate study and earned her doctorate in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1976. She was a member of the national curriculum project that authored the Chemistry in Context textbook and led the chapters on air quality, acid rain, ozone depletion, polymers, food, nuclear energy, and sustainability. She has received numerous national awards including two that are sponsored by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation and related to encouraging women and disadvantaged students in science.