Embracing Inquiry: Carolyn Bosse’s 34-year Journey in Grinnell Biology

Whether you’ve conducted an experiment for BIO-150 or done research with a professor, you’ve probably worked with Carolyn Bosse. For the last 34 years, she has been a laboratory technician for the Grinnell biology department. In that time, Bosse has witnessed the department expand in many ways – from the faculty, curriculum, and technology to the Noyce Science Building itself.

“Maybe the universe is trying to tell something," Carolyn Bosse thought, when she saw the Laboratory Technician position at Grinnell College advertised for two semesters in a row in 1990. Born the child of teachers, Bosse had always nurtured a love for learning and for helping others to learn. “Ever since I can remember, I knew [teaching] was what I wanted to do,” she recalls. After completing a biology degree and a teaching certificate, Bosse worked as a substitute high school teacher while earning her Licensed Practitioner Nurse (LPN) license. But she had an inkling that the lab technician role would be interesting and after getting the position more than thirty years ago, she has never looked back.

As a lab technician, Bosse coordinates the planning, teaching, and technology for the laboratory components of biology courses. She enjoys connecting laboratory experiments with the content students are learning in class. “I think the lab education is especially appealing because it’s hands-on and you’ve got that chance to make a connection with abstract concepts,” she says. What motivates Bosse in her role? “I enjoy seeing somebody catch a spark [and] start to understand something they didn’t before or learn something new. I enjoy asking ‘What can I do that maybe makes learning the concept easier?’”

Having seen the biology major through three different curricula, Bosse’s love for both learning and incorporating new techniques into labs has been critical to the department's evolution. As new faculty members joined the department and brought wider ranges of expertise, the technology also saw tremendous growth and change. Bosse adapted to emerging techniques, including gene sequencing, which was out of reach for a small liberal arts college like Grinnell 30 years ago, but has since then developed into something the department uses on a regular basis.  

Bosse’s philosophy in the lab tech role has been one of empowerment. ‘What I strive for my job to be is — if somebody wants to do something, I can figure out a way to make that possible,” she explains. “Whether that means we figure out where money comes from to order the equipment necessary, or we figure out a way to streamline it so it's possible to do in a three-hour chunk...we’ll make it happen.”

Bosse’s creative and determined approach to supporting student inquiry is evident in her experiences on the job. Once, a group of students asked for technical assistance to peel off the endosperm from wheat seeds for their experiment. After students read that pasta makers could help, Bosse brought in her own pasta maker from home. Though the approach was unsuccessful, Bosse hopes students learned from the process. “It didn't matter if it was ‘successful’ or not. Hopefully the process was enjoyable and sparked some creativity and learning,” she explains.

Embracing failure is core to Bosse’s approach to laboratory inquiry. “Every time you fail, you really haven't. You've learned something,” she believes. She sees it as her responsibility to provide support so that one failure on the path doesn't become a roadblock. Bosse meets every student with kindness and understanding. “As long as students are willing to put their effort into it, then I'll meet them wherever they're at,” says Bosse.

Bosse also served on the building committee for the Noyce Science Center prior to the building’s 1997 renovation. She worked with faculty and staff from other science departments to design common spaces that would “make science feel more collaborative.” Working with the architects that helped design the lab spaces, Bosse found she really enjoyed computer-aided design (CAD). “And who knew? I didn't even know that was a job. You sometimes discover things about yourself that you weren't planning to.”

While Bosse has witnessed significant evolutions in the landscape of Grinnell biology, she appreciates a ‘thread’ that has remained the same throughout the 34 years she has been here: challenging students. “Don't take the easy way. You're capable of more than you think you are," Bosse advises. “And you never know where your life is going to take you. So be open to possibilities that might open up. At 22, you haven't found all the possibilities yet, and I don't know at 57 if I've found all the possibilities yet of what I could be or what I could do."