Catherine Langford’s career didn’t start in a lab — it started with words. With a degree in journalism, her goal was always to communicate clearly and inspire others through storytelling. She spent years as an editor in publishing and later moved into broadcasting at Brigham Young University, where she helped to publicize educational programming with wide audiences.

A career transition led her somewhere unexpected: the world of life sciences. When Catherine joined BD (then Bard) as a technical writer, she discovered a new kind of storytelling — one where clarity could directly impact patient safety. It wasn’t the path she’d planned, but looking back, it feels like the one she was always meant to take.

As Catherine grew at BD, her curiosity drew her deeper into the technical side of communication. She learned the language of engineers and scientists, earned certifications in quality engineering and auditing, and eventually moved into quality assurance. There, she supported audits and helped ensure every product met the highest standards. Later, in regulatory affairs, she found her perfect fit — helping teams translate testing data and validations into narratives that regulators and patients could trust.

“Even a technical document tells a story,” she says. “You want that story to be clear, accurate, and human.”

For Catherine, the most rewarding part of her journey has been helping others find theirs. She’s mentored new technical writers, encouraged collaboration across teams, and even started a technical writers’ group at BD — a community that continues to thrive today. Now serving as Chair of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) Salt Lake Section, she continues to build bridges across Utah’s life science ecosystem, championing professional growth and continuous improvement.

“Be open to new experiences,” she says. “You never know where your path might lead.”

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