By: Claire Quigle

Hello Hawkeyes! Happy “Where Do You Work” Wednesday! Meet Alumna Martha Kirby (M.A. ‘97 Counselor Education, College Student Development program.)

Kirby was born in Delaware and raised in Iowa City, Iowa. Before coming back to Iowa City, she spent time living in Houston, San Diego, Denver, and London. She currently works in the Department of Political Science at the University of Iowa and has worked there for about 8 years. She has worked at the University of Iowa since completing her degree.

Within the Political Science Department, she works as a senior academic advisor. In July of 2021, she will add the position of director of the new College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Pre-Law Diversity Pipeline Program. She also serves as the President of the Midwest Association of Pre-Law Advisors and was recently elected as chair-elect of the Pre-Law Advisors National Council.

Kirby loves the direct student connection she gets to experience within her career.

“There is simply nothing better than helping students discover the ways in which they can leverage their undergraduate experience to define and achieve their personal, professional, and educational goals,” Kirby says.

She feels grateful for her time at the University of Iowa College of Education and says there are experiences she gained during her time here that have had a lasting impact on her.

“To fulfill the program’s internship requirement, I worked in Orientation Services during graduate school,” Kirby says. “The position required me to build a whole host of new skills and knowledge in order to put the theory from the classroom into practice.”

She says those years provided a crucial foundation for her work in academic student services and continue to shape her approach more than 20 years later.

“When I think about my time at the University of Iowa, both as a student and a staff person, it is the people that define the experience,” Kirby says. “The constantly evolving constellation of faculty, staff, and students that form the University of Iowa community provides the intellectual stimulation and challenge that keeps life interesting.”

Want to be the next “Where Do You Work Wednesday” or nominate someone? Message us on Facebook, tag us with #HawkeyeTeachers, or email us at educationatiowa@uiowa.edu.