Durham, NC - Cat Warren, a faculty member at North Carolina State University since 1995, will become the communications director at Common Sense Foundation starting May 16.

"Common Sense just created my dream job - thinking, talking and writing full time about the issues that are critical to the future of North Carolina," Warren said.

Before returning to academia to get her Ph.D. in 1990, Cat Warren was a reporter for several newspapers across the United States, including The Hartford Courant, The Casper Star-Tribune in Wyoming, and The Sacramento Bee. She has been on the faculty at NC State since 1995, and is currently an associate professor in the Department of English. She has taught a wide range of courses in journalism, as well as courses in women's and gender studies. She was director of the women's and gender studies program at NC State from 2004 to 2006.

In addition to her past life as a daily journalist, as well as a number of scholarly publications, Cat Warren is also a contributor to local media, most frequently to The Independent Weekly.