Claire Elizabeth Kruesel

she/her

Undergraduate Program Coordinator
Associate Teaching Professor

Biochemistry Undergraduate Program Coordinator, REU Director, Stupka Symposium Advisor, Associate Professor. I've been trained to think like a biochemist and teach like creative writer, which means I'm good at assembling novel, purposeful, and resilient learning containers. The most exciting thing I've done in my current position is co-found a summer research program with Dr. Kristen Johansen; it is a joy to see students shift their thinking from "student-" to "researcher-" mindset and to be part of their journey as effective science communicators. The 3rd-person bio below provides more detail on my professional skills and goals.

➡️ Prospective biochemistry students, please read a bit about our program below and feel free to email me! I'd love to chat about your options or set up a custom visit.

➡️ Colleagues, I'd love to hear from you if you have an interest in pedagogy x AI, leadership x strengths, student affairs UX, or adapting academia to benefit (from) neurodivergence. If crafting the perfect discussion prompt sounds like fun, let's talk :)

1228 Molecular Biology Building

2437 Pammel Drive

Ames

50011-1054

kruesel@iastate.edu

515-294-1042

Education

M.S. Biochemistry, Iowa State University, 2022
M.F.A., Creative Writing and Environment, Iowa State University, 2015
B.S., Biochemistry, Iowa State University, 2007
B.S., Genetics, Iowa State University, 2007

Affiliations

Interdepartmental Programs

Cathedrals, Castles, Culture and Cuisine-Sustainable, Safe & Nutritious Food in France

About Claire

Claire Kruesel (KREE-zuhl) has over a decade of experience teaching and coordinating programming in higher ed. She is passionate about agency-based pedagogy to facilitate transformative upleveling of both personal and professional skills. Ms. Kruesel specializes in architecting and running efficient containers for experiential learning, optimizing curriculum, and helping students build audience-centered SciComm skills. Her goal is to collaborate both within and beyond the Department to cultivate an innovative, community-rich, and personally empowering undergraduate experience at Iowa State.

An intersectional background in science, communication, and pedagogy informs Ms. Kruesel's approach as BBMB Undergraduate Program Coordinator. This position includes managing scholarships, supporting undergraduate research, advising the Stupka Undergraduate Research Symposium, leading recruitment and retention efforts, directing the BBMB Undergraduate Mentoring Program, and directing the BBMB Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Ms. Kruesel's instructional roles include a biochemistry lab-report writing course, a study-abroad course to France focused on sustainable food systems (co-instructor), and the BBMB Summer Undergraduate Research Program (Director).

Ms. Kruesel's top strengths are creativity (VIA), individualization, strategic, connectedness, ideation, input, achiever, futuristic, learner, restorative, and activator (Clifton/Gallup).

Are you curious what it's like to major in biochemistry at Iowa State?

The Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (BBMB) is an academic home for ambitious students who want to engage in creative problem-solving to make the world more efficient, healthy, and resilient. Biochemistry majors build a broad foundation of knowledge--from Calculus to Chemistry, Cell Biology to Thermodynamics--that prepares them for a future in academia, industry, research, and beyond. Biochemistry majors at Iowa State further specialize in Research and Biotechnology, Pre-Medicine, or Biophysics.

Our majors gain hands-on experience in biochemistry labs starting their first year. Many students work in research labs and have the opportunity to present their work at the student-led Stupka Undergraduate Research Symposium, which also offers real-world experience in event planning and national networking opportunities. The Biochemistry Undergraduate Learning Community pairs students with Peer Mentors, the Biochemistry Club hosts social and outreach events, and the BBMB Undergraduate Mentoring Program facilitates meaningful interaction with faculty.

Overall, studying biochemistry at Iowa States means you'll have access to a strong support network while you study and perhaps even further the frontiers of bioscience.