March 12, 2025

Clara Kreutziger: A Research Resource

This week’s Community Spotlight focuses on Clara Kreutziger, an Interdisciplinary Honors Student studying Marine Biology and Ecological Exploration. An active member in the Honors Peer Mentoring program and a member of the College of the Environment Student Advisory Council, Clara is involved in many different moving parts at the University of Washington. In order to reach out to any new students who are interested in undergraduate research, Clara shared some of her own experiences:

How did you get into research?

“All of my research opportunities came from building relationships and reaching out to my professors, TAs, and academic advisors!”

What is your favorite thing that you have discovered while researching or your favorite part of the process?

“The most important lesson from my research has been that it can (and should in my opinion) be collaborative and team-based. There is definitely a perception within STEM fields that research needs to be competitive and individualized. While this can be true, every single one of my research opportunities has been within a team, which I personally have found to be much more rewarding. Team-based research still allows you to forge valuable professional relationships while harnessing diverse skills, backgrounds, and perspectives, making for a much more interdisciplinary and well-done body of work.”

How do you see this research helping you in the future (career wise or academic path wise)?

“My field, Marine Biology, is very fieldwork and research-based, so I have had the privilege of learning a plethora of field methods, in addition to scientific writing and data analysis skills. Specifically, through my research as part of the Undergraduate Photo-Analysis team in conjunction with King County and Friday Harbor Labs, I am in the process of writing a manuscript with my advisors and soon getting published, which has been one of the most rewarding (and challenging) parts of my research, especially because I am planning on going to graduate school!”

Reach out to Clara if you have any questions about the College of the Environment or undergraduate research at ckreutzi@uw.edu!