Great Teaching: Kim Kostka

Written by Lalaina Chandanais | Photos by Craig Schreiner

As a first-generation college graduate, Kim Kostka, a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, recognizes that many different outside factors may influence what a student’s educational journey looks like. It is because of this that she is committed to understanding each of her students’ individual needs.

Through lessons based on the everyday objects of their lives, Kostka engages her students of all different backgrounds in a communal and connective way.

“I use analogy, stories from the news, personal experiences, and everyday materials in my classes and labs. For instance, we do a lot of work with food — broccoli, Cheetos, shortening, eggs, and so forth,” Kostka said. “I want beginning chemists to appreciate that chemists work in the real world with everyday things.”

Kostka, a champion of student success as a faculty member at UW-Whitewater at Rock County, received the 2025 W.P. Roseman Excellence in Teaching Award, UW-Whitewater’s highest honor for teaching given annually to a faculty member. As the award recipient, she served as the Carrier of the Mace at UW-Whitewater’s winter 2025 and spring 2026 commencement ceremonies.

Before getting hired at the UW-Whitewater at Rock County campus, Kostka already had experience within the Universities of Wisconsin. She grew up in Bruce, Wisconsin, and received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 1987. From there, she went on to study at Carnegie Mellon University, where she earned both her master’s degree and Ph.D.

In 1993, Kostka was hired as a professor of chemistry at URock, where she began teaching students throughout all walks of life.

“We serve students who just graduated from high school and are just starting college, as well as students who are coming back to college to complete what they started,” Kostka said. “Some of our students are working adults.”

Kostka immediately recognized the benefits of such a tight-knit campus community, leaning into her ability to connect with individual students and learn their stories. She is grateful for her daily opportunities to expand her students’ knowledge beyond the classroom.

“I rely on students to tell me what they need and I observe them carefully,” Kostka said. “In class, I use a variety of methods for assessing their progress with a topic. Outside of class, I offer a variety of ways for students to engage with chemistry, such as readings, videos, practice problems, low-stakes homework problems, simulations, and more.”

When examining her personal motivation to teach at a campus with many nontraditional students, Kostka recalls the pride she felt for her mother during her nontraditional student journey.

“When I was a college junior, my mom started college herself at a technical college over an hour from our home. Watching her do this as a returning adult ignited my passion for opening access to education,” Kostka said. “So when streaming and online education started to develop in the 1990s, I knew I wanted to be a part of a movement that would make it possible for learners who were place-bound and time-bound to get a college degree.”

The resilience shown by her mother to become a nontraditional student played a key role in Kostka’s path to URock, and it is the pieces of that same resilience that she sees within her students that keeps her there.

Kosta recognizes that while it is important to have a strong “why” behind your pursuit of a degree, it is normal and sometimes essential for that “why” to change and evolve as you do. She advises students to be kind to themselves as they discover what path is best for them.

“Completing a college degree is hard work, so it’s important that you have a strong motivator to sustain you through that work.

“Understand that change is OK,” Kostka added. “It doesn’t show lack of commitment. Instead, it shows how you are growing as you learn more and as your life changes.”