Professor Carrie Schuettpelz’s journey into teaching was recently featured in a profile on the University of Iowa’s website. Schuettpelz discusses her experiences studying abroad, studying public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and working as a homelessness policy advisor for the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama Administration. Following that, she shifted back to education, first to pursue a Master of Fine Arts and then to return to the classroom again, this time as an instructor. Schuettpelz also discusses her Native American heritage and how that identity impacts her understanding of public policy and solutions to community issues.

Schuettpelz, who joined the School of Planning and Public Affairs this fall, has a forthcoming debut book, The Indian Card, which explores the relationship between the Tribal enrollment and membership process and Native self-identification. Schuettpelz is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Her courses focus on public policy, homelessness, and poverty, and teaching students how to create compelling policy proposals as they explore the government’s role in solving these issues.  See the profile to read more about her journey and passion for teaching students how to effect change.

Photo by Tim Schoon