Catherine graduated from Brown University in 2005 with a B.A. in the History of Art. At Brown she was a team captain, NCAA Champion, All-American and CRCA Scholar Athlete. Catherine competed for the United States, winning a U23 World Championship in the 4- in 2005. From there she continued to train while also coaching high school athletes at Saugatuck Rowing Club where her athletes attained considerable success, placing at the Head of the Charles and Youth Nationals. Those athletes also ended up rowing on the collegiate level at schools that include Trinity, Harvard, Yale, and Brown.  


Catherine returned to Brown University in 2010 and was an integral member of the coaching staff, working for her former coaches John and Phoebe Murphy. Catherine was also the main recruiting coordinator for the program and during her tenure, athletes that she recruited and worked with won an NCAA Team Championship in 2011, Ivy Team Championship in 2014 and 2015, as well as individual boat titles at both the NCAA Championship and Ivy League Championship. Most recently Starr was honored as a CRCA Coaching Staff of the Year for the New England Region (2015).