Kristine Arens grew up in Central Wisconsin, surrounded by trees in rows, and industries that consisted of paper mill jobs, cranberry bogs and potato farmers. She took a chance and left her town and headed 3 hours south to go to school at UW-Platteville (UWP). She was a trendsetter by leaving town and attending college. She realized that she would never return to her hometown and knew she had to blaze her own trail. While Kristine is not a first-generation student, she has seen what it is like to make the difficult and rewarding decision to pursue an education when it might not be the common path.

Currently a faculty member in the Business Analytics department, Kristine uses her many years of industry knowledge to mentor, support and guide students through their educational journey. She currently guides BAIS and MSBA students in courses that focus on professional preparation, development and even industry-focused capstone classes. Her role in the department closely aligns with the mentor-focused environment of the 1stGen@Iowa program and she looks forward to listening and supporting your adventure as a student at the University of Iowa. She is here to be your cheerleader, your mentor or just a general listening ear.

In her spare time, Kristine spends time watching sports like Iowa Women’s Basketball, Iowa Football and Heartlander’s Hockey. Outside of sports, she enjoys hiking, biking and listening to a wide variety of music.