Unique Careers

Not everyone who earns a Bachelor degree in a particular discipline ends up choosing a career in that area. The writing, communication, public speaking, problem-solving, and analytical skills developed during a rigorous undergraduate program are broadly applicable to many types of employment or graduate studies.  Most Genetics students take a few courses or a minor in Psychology and we’ve had several graduates continue studies in that area.  Several have pursued careers in education, either as a high school science teacher after earning a Master of Arts in Teaching or entering a degree program in higher education.  Genetics would also provide a good background for entering law with the goal of becoming an intellectual property attorney, a specialty requiring an undergraduate degree in a STEM area.

ALUMNI PROFILES

Claire Kruesel

Education:  BS Genetics, ISU, 2007; BS Biochemistry, ISU, 2007; MFA, Creative Writing and Environment, ISU

Current Position: Assistant Teaching Professor, English, ISU

I earned dual degrees in Biochemistry and Genetics, working in an A. thaliana genetics lab along the way. After graduating, I worked in another lab to assess how mutations alter an enzyme's kinetics, then earned an MFA in Creative Writing and Environment. In my current job as Assistant Teaching Professor in the English Department, I work with students--often science majors in a learning community or Engl 312 (Biological Communication) to optimize communication: a "dry lab" setting. I see both communication and science as arts rooted in logical analysis and strategic iteration, so training in one enhances the other.

Students - you should try to get into one of her classes!