Catherine Shen
Host, Where We LiveCatherine is the Host of Connecticut Public’s morning talk show and podcast, Where We Live. Catherine and the WWL team focus on going beyond the headlines to bring in meaningful conversations that put Connecticut in context.
Before her current position, Catherine was Connecticut Public’s education reporter for just over a year. She covered a variety of stories like student mental health, childcare shortages, and teacher burnout. She joined Connecticut Public's newsroom in 2021. The Los Angeles native came to CT Public after a decade of print and digital reporting across the country.
She started her journalism career in the Los Angeles fashion scene. While that was an exciting time, Catherine ultimately needed to get back to her news roots. She was soon traipsing all across California’s Central Coast as a freelance news reporter for several newspapers, where she broke stories about local government, law enforcement, and education. She also covered crime, healthcare, business, as well as arts and culture.
After finding herself on the East Coast, she continued reporting in New Jersey, covering a mix of academic news, nonprofit projects, and human feature stories both off and on camera. Then she moved to Connecticut and started reporting for the New Britain Herald, where she won several Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists awards for her coverage on the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice movements, and police accountability.
Catherine received an undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism from Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. While an undergraduate student, she was a reporter for the university newspaper and its student-run television station, Cable 8 News. She’s also a proud member of the Asian American Journalism Society.
In her downtime, she tries her best to catch up on her reading list but often fails due to a variety of distractions, including reorganizing her bookshelves, scavenging library book sales, and thinking about reading books.
Catherine can be reached at cshen@ctpublic.org.
-
Speaking at the State of the Union this week, President Donald Trump demanded a full restoration of funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Today, we talk about the future of immigration enforcement and what reform might look like. -
It’s been four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This hour, we get an update on what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine and the efforts to end the war. -
This hour, we discuss an American dance form that has captured hearts for decades: tap! We look at the evolution of this dance style and how local artists are keeping the tap tradition alive. -
Although many efforts have been made to expand books and curriculum used to teach Black history, African American children’s literature can still be limited. -
This hour, we explore the concept of Dry January and hear from sober spaces and dry spots in our state celebrating life without alcohol. We also discuss how our relationship with alcohol is changing overall. -
Black holes have fascinated scientists for generations, but there is still so much we don’t know about them. Today, Yale astrophysicist Priya Natarajan joins us to talk about her research into the depths of black holes. -
Can’t sleep? You’re not alone. This hour, we explore insomnia and other sleep disorders – and why, for so many Americans, rest has become something we chase instead of something that comes naturally. -
Author Katherine May examines what wintering means in 2026, five years after the release of her memoir, “Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times." -
New research shows that medical cannabis might not have the health benefits once thought. Today, we get an update on cannabis in our state, and what you need to know about cannabis use and misuse. -
Smile and say cheese! Today, we talk to award-winning cheesemakers from across Connecticut to learn what makes the Nutmeg State’s cheese so goud-a.
