Assistant Professor of English Dr. Hannah Kroonblawd teaches writing and literature courses through a Scripture-inspired lens

Dr. Hannah Kroonblawd ‘12 is eager to return to Concordia Nebraska after twelve years away. Since her graduation, she’s been a teacher in China, MFA student in Oregon, doctoral student in Illinois and professor in Ohio. As of the fall semester of the 2024-25 academic year, she’s now part of Concordia’s English, Communication and Theatre Arts Department as an assistant professor of English.  

Having spent most of her childhood in Minnesota as one of three children of an LCMS pastor, Kroonblawd came to Nebraska in 2008 as an undergraduate student interested in earning an LTD and teaching middle school.  

“Little did I know how God would use my time at Concordia to prepare me for homes both as far as I could go and as close as I could be!” she said.  

Kroonblawd’s first experience with Lutheran education in Asia came during a spring break trip to China in 2010, led by Dr. Daniel Thurber, professor emeritus of English. When it came time for her to complete her student teaching requirement, she was able to return to China, this time to Concordia International School Shanghai. When a teaching position opened in Shenzen, China, Kroonblawd, as a recent graduate, took the job and joined other Concordia Nebraska alumni in proclaiming the love of Christ to Chinese students for two years.  

Concordia is the kind of place that truly supports all aspects of growth – I get to encourage students not only in their academic development, but also in their faith and vocations. Scripture is the life-giving Word that guides our work, and Lutheran doctrine provides context and direction for faithful living and serving.

“Teaching in China was exhausting, rewarding and inspiring,” she said. One of the most significant takeaways she had from her job in China, however, came when she began writing poetry.  

“As the months passed...I remembered the poetry and other creative writing classes I had taken at Concordia, and I got in contact with my former professors to ask about graduate school.”  

Her love of poetry was what first brought her into the college classroom – as an instructor. After starting her MFA in creative writing at Oregon State University, she got the chance to teach college students for the first time and is part of the higher education community to this day.  

“While I still deeply love middle schoolers,” she said, “God has kept me in the college classroom ever since!”  

And her educational journey didn’t end there. In 2022, she earned her Ph.D. in English Studies from Illinois State University, focusing on contemporary ecopoetics and apocalyptic writing. Though the time in Illinois sometimes felt like an extension of her master’s program work, she said the deep study was rewarding and worthwhile, especially regarding the relationships she built during her time there.  

“Throughout all my studies, the churches I attended were supportive and encouraging. The life of the church helped ground me through those moves, changes and challenges...the length of time and depth of study also allowed me to build close relationships with my peers,” Kroonblawd said.  

Her next move was shorter than the one preceding it – to Canton, Ohio, the home of Malone University, where she spent two years teaching and directing the university’s creative writing program. This year, she’s teaching similar classes at Concordia, her alma mater, after over a decade spent serving other roles in other places. She now teaches a range of writing and literature classes, including Introduction to Literature, a survey-level course in the reading, interpretation and evaluation of literature in various genres. Most students who take this course are freshmen.  

“I really enjoy teaching freshmen,” she said. “I get to walk alongside new students and help orient them not only to Concordia but also to the ways reading well and writing well are connected to faith in Christ and service to others.” She wants to have the same impact on her students that Concordia faculty did on her when she was an undergraduate student.  

She sees Concordia as a place that supports “all aspects of growth.”  

“As a student at Concordia, there was no greater gift than being surrounded by friends, classmates, professors and staff who lived out their faith every day,” she said. “Concordia is the kind of place that truly supports all aspects of growth – [now] I get to encourage students not only in their academic development, but also in their faith and vocations. Scripture is the life-giving Word that drives our work, and Lutheran doctrine provides context and direction for faithful living and serving.”  

According to Kroonblawd, the best part of being a student or staff member at Concordia is being able to see the body of Christ and people of God in action on campus all day, every day.  

Kroonblawd comes from a family that “loves the Lord and serves His people”: her father and brothers have been called to the pastoral ministry, while her mother works at a crisis pregnancy center. When Kroonblawd isn’t teaching, you may find her reading, testing out new recipes or exploring local bookstores and coffee shops.  

Concordia University, Nebraska’s English program is designed for students who value careful writing and editing, critical thinking and problem-solving. Professors who are experts in their field will teach students how to communicate effectively through writing and provide them with critical skills that will help them find success as English professionals. Learn more about the English undergraduate major here.