Kat Rowett-O'Neil

Kat is a seasoned media professional with extensive experience in her field. In her current role as content and operations manager at WAER in Syracuse, NY, she oversees content strategy, programming, technical operations, and talent development across the station's two active channels, having been promoted into the role in May 2026 after serving as anchor/producer, including local hosting of NPR's "All Things Considered."

Kat's recent work includes designing and deploying an original 88-point aircheck evaluation system used to coach and develop the station's Sunday specialty hosts, and building LOIS (Learn, Optimize, Integrate, Support), an AI-assisted journalism toolkit for broadcast story generation and newsroom workflow support that has been recognized by Syracuse University's Newhouse School and featured in the university's Data and AI Community of Standards and Practices. She is a member of the Newhouse Future Forward AI Innovation Program. Her reporting has earned two Syracuse Press Club awards, one in each of the past two years, and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award nomination.

Previously, Kat worked as a producer/anchor, providing timely traffic reports for New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey radio stations. During this time, she also earned a bachelor of science in professional studies: business from Le Moyne College, graduating summa cum laude with concentrations in communications, film studies and project management.

Kat's diverse career journey includes serving as the corporate customer relations advocate and closed captioning coordinator at Bright House Networks, where she managed escalated concerns and received recognition as Employee of the Quarter in 2014. She also demonstrated her technical prowess as a field support representative II, saving the organization significant funds through error corrections and identifying compatibility issues.

Her background extends to law enforcement as a police communications operator at the Clearwater Police Department, contributing to public and officer safety. Kat's media experience encompasses roles such as technical director, co-host and internship coordinator at Genesis Communications WWBA/WLVU and lead radio instructor at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Tampa, FL.

Kat's international exposure includes a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange vocational exchange scholarship to Germany, where she created daily weather graphics for RTL's morning news program "Punkt 7." Her upbringing in a military family instilled adaptability, as she relocated regularly during her youth.

Her rich and diverse background makes her an asset in the ever-evolving world of news and media, and her lifelong learning mentality is a natural fit for Syracuse University.