Professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Elon’s inaugural Sidney F. and Kathleen Jackson Professor, Karty is among the first from an American institution to be named a St. Andrews Global Fellow (Education).
Joel Karty, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry, has been selected as a Global Fellow (Education) by the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and will collaborate with STEM faculty there to develop and implement chemistry pedagogy.
Founded in 1413, St. Andrews is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities. It launched the Global Fellowship Scheme in 2018 to bring talented scholars from around the world to St. Andrews to advance research, collaboration and relationships among faculty.
As a Global Fellow, Karty will work closely with faculty at St. Andrews, including Lecturer in Organic Chemistry Russ Pearson, to examine educational trends among American and European undergraduates, and to collaborate in the development of teaching methods and strategies that deepen scientific learning.
“The University is honoured to welcome such a diverse and esteemed group of scholars from around the globe to St. Andrews in the 2024-25 academic year to engage, collaborate and innovate with our staff and students,” said Brad McKay, professor, deputy principal and vice-principal (International Strategy and External Relations) at St. Andrews. “The Global Fellowship Scheme continues to attract leading experts in their fields, who not only support the enhancement of our world-leading research and teaching, but also contribute to forging impactful long-term international partnerships and networks.”
Karty is one of three 2024-25 Global Fellows (Education), and among a select few professors from American institutions to receive the education fellowship. Global Fellows (Education) are recognized as leading practitioners and researchers in the field of education and pedagogy, and are selected based on experience innovating educational reform, enhancing student learning and implementing education strategy. The award includes a stipend for a 28-day visit to the university over the academic year.
At Elon, Karty is known for dynamic and reflective teaching that leads to student success and resilience. In recent years, he’s explored and incorporated pedagogy that develops a growth-mindset among students, encourages individual progress and results in deeply engaged student learning.
“It’s an amazing honor to receive such recognition. I’m especially looking forward to enhancing my own teaching by gaining a better understanding of the challenges faced by professors across the pond when it comes to STEM education,” Karty said. “This fellowship means quite a lot to me. It’s highly competitive, and my selection is high praise of my body of work as a teacher and scholar, not just nationally, but internationally.”
Karty and Pearson connected over pedagogy at the 2022 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education. Since, they have communicated around engaged learning and pedagogy, which led them to collaborating in Karty’s application to the Global Fellows program.
“Our proposed work using online chemistry-themed tasks to improve students’ ability and confidence” grew from a shared interest in successful student outcomes, Pearson said. Karty and Pearson hope their collaboration will forge ties between Elon and St. Andrews and result in access to new student opportunities.
“Bringing together current teaching conundrums, fresh ideas and a determination to be even better is obviously an exciting prospect for all involved,” Pearson said.
Since joining Elon faculty in 2001, Karty has been recognized for his teaching and scholarship. Last spring, he was named Elon’s inaugural Sidney F. and Kathleen Jackson Professor, an endowed professorship supporting faculty in chemistry and physics, and he is a past recipient of the Elon College Excellence in Scholarship Award. He is also the author of “Organic Chemistry: Principles and Mechanisms,” a textbook now in its third edition, as well as an organic chemistry prep book and complementary support materials that are designed to aid student preparation and resilience in chemistry.
A total of 21 international scholars were selected as 2024-25 Global Fellows, Senior Global Fellows and Global Fellows (Education). Since it was established in 2018, St. Andrews has welcomed more than 50 researchers and practitioners across a range of disciplines into the program.