Katie Despeaux is a Ph.D. student in History and her research focuses on medieval elite women, the intersection of gender and power, and the role of pregnancy in the expression of power. Primarily her research looks at France and parts of Spain and Italy. She came to UNM in 2020 and completed the Masters in History and the Masters in French before continuing to the Ph.D. Prior to becoming a historian, Katie received a B.A. in French and Psychology from Washington College and an M.S. in Clinical Psychology at Loyola University Maryland.