Kristina is the coordinator of the biochemistry and molecular biology degree program at OSU-Cascades, and a senior instructor in the biology program at OSU-Cascades. She received her Ph.D. from SUNY Buffalo, followed by postdoctoral positions in the Institute of Molecular Biology at the University of Oregon and Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics at Oregon State University. She began teaching at OSU-Cascades after relocating to Bend in 2013. Her research has employed fungal genetic models and plant pathogens to better understand epigenetic gene regulatory mechanisms. Her publications can be viewed on Research Gate.