Cassi Friday has been a military spouse for 13 years, supporting her husband through his career in the Army. Frustrated by a lack of opportunities to grow her own career as a scientist, Cassi became involved in military spouse employment initiatives. From 2018–2020, she served as network lead for the Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Professional Network in South Korea. Working with her team, Cassi helped design and implement an expedited hiring pilot program for military spouses in the Far East. The program’s success led to its adoption in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as an official OCONUS hiring initiative.

In recognition of her advocacy and service, Cassi was named Volunteer of the Year for U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in 2020. Following her family’s move to Kentucky, she returned to the University of Kentucky, where she earned her Ph.D. in Physiology from the College of Medicine.

Cassi currently serves as director of research for Cure HHT, a rare disease advocacy foundation supporting individuals and families affected by a genetic vascular bleeding disorder — an issue that is deeply personal, as two of her children have the disease. In her spare time, she recently started two very different hobbies — learning to play the drums and crochet!