Biography & Scholarship

Motivational STEM Education

Kirsten researches science learning motivation and STEM persistence in high school and college. General science and STEM courses from middle school to the end of undergraduate education are taught to educate students with any STEM career interest, yet many students struggle. Kirsten develops methods to design student-relevant motivational instruction to enhance STEM program retention for all learners.

Honors

Outstanding Staff Award
University of Idaho (United States, Moscow) - UI , 2016

Organizational Affiliations

Temporary Instructor Faculty, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences , University of Idaho

Director - STEM Access, University of Idaho

Education

Education
05/2023 , Doctor of Philosophy , University of Idaho (United States, Moscow) - U of I

Thesis: Differentiating Science Motivational Factors of Adolescent College Students by Career Orientation with a Self-Determination Theory Lens

Biology
07/1998 , Master Degree , University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany

Thesis: Characterization of the pgmB gene in Aspergillus nidulans.