The "Night Sky" series (2005–7) featured more neutral, monochrome palettes and forms referencing constellations, sea life and human biology. An offshoot of that work was a show of large—up to 35 feet—realistic, but patterned drawings of natural and organic forms that some considered among Sensemann's most brave and intriguing work. The "Dots" series (2007–11), which includes paintings such as "Solitary Pleasures" (2016), extended her explorations of pattern to more colorful, oscillating forms reminiscent of flora, cells, or hives. With the "Indra's Net" (2016–8) works, she focused on skewed grid patterns of intricate net and lace-like arrangements, that ranged from organic to almost geometric and expressed a Buddhist visualization of interconnectedness and a feminist critique of 1960s, hard-edged abstraction. Sensemann began teaching in 1973 at the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She earned tenure at age 30, leaving as an Associate Professor in 1981 for the School of Art and Design, University of Illinois at Chicago. As Professor at UIC, she taught studio classes, created a course on writing for artists, and led a class in Rome. Some of her students include conceptual artist Tom Friedman, writer Mira Bartok, mixed-media artist Arturo Herrera, and sculptor Jorge Pardo. Sensemann served in several capacities at the School, including appointments as Director of Graduate Studies (1986–90), Acting Director (1989–91), and Director of Undergraduate Studies (2000–05). In 2010, she retired as Professor Emerita. Sensemann's educational experience also includes teaching international workshops at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and lecturing on painting, feminist work, contemporary women in the arts, and her own work at institutions in China, Italy, Germany, South Korea and the U.S. She has been selected as a visiting artist at more than twenty schools including the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Jilin Normal University (China), Texas Woman's University and School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Sensemann has been an active curator, at venues including the Evanston Art Center, Gallery 400, and Artemisia Gallery. Described as "curatorially adventurous," her shows have explored signature themes such as pleasure, eroticism and excess ("Libidinal," "Heat," "Obsession," "Touch," "More is More"), the body ("Physiotasmagorical," "Brain/Body"), and feminism.