You're THE Kate Starbird?

So all the past few weeks, I've been corresponding with fellow panelist for NCS4 conference Catherine Starbird. Seen the photo. She's a PhD student at Colorado. Toward the end, there's a passing reference in an email, you can call me Kate. Gee, that name sounds familiar, but I'm busy listening to the work this young researcher is putting out.

Dim wit. Don't put one plus one into a bonus set of free throws until the meet up at the pre-presentation meeting. Gosh, you're awfully tall.

Um. Undergraduate from Stanford. About the right time period. Certainly the right height.

Sheepishly I ask later, I'm sorry, but are you the Kate Starbird . . .

Equally humble, yes, I played for Stanford.

I remembered seeing you play when I was doing sports info for Arkansas.

It's a funny world sometimes.

So aside from my own borderline fan excitement, I was thoroughly impressed with yet another NCAA athlete success story. Sure, Starbird did get to go pro in women's basketball, both in the U.S. and in Spain.

But listening to her brief description of social media was employed in Spain by anti-government protesters during the aftermath of the 2004 Madrid train station bombings was fascinating. Oh, not because she just happened to be playing pro ball in Spain at the time. Because she was watching it with the eye of a researcher.

The things she presented at the conference were extremely useful.

Want to know more about the accuracy of the "wisdom of crowds"? Check out the E.P.I.C. work she has contributed to at Colorado.

And you want to know how a career in college sports leads to a high-profile career? Check out where Kate Starbird has gone.

Project EPIC on Twitter || Kate Starbird on Twitter || Project EPIC