From chemistry to referee
Kathryn Nesbitt left her professor post to bring her problem-solving skills to the pitch, and is breaking through barriers for women
Most of the world was at a standstill last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown it brought, but US-based analytical chemist Kathryn Nesbitt, who had recently left academia to pursue a career as a professional soccer referee, thrived. In November, Nesbitt became the first woman ever to be named the US’s Major League Soccer (MLS) Assistant Referee of the Year, and the following month she became the first woman to referee a championship match in professional men’s sports in North America.
Growing up in Rochester, New York, Nesbitt began refereeing at just 14 years old. That was only a few years before she fell in love with chemistry, thanks almost entirely to an amazing high school teacher. Ultimately, she earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Saint John Fisher College in Rochester in 2010, continuing to referee soccer throughout her time there.