Hello! My name is Colleen Kelley, and I am the new Editor for Higher Education for the Chemical Education Xchange (ChemEd X). I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and what I hope to bring to ChemEd X as its newest Editor for Higher Education.

As I transition into the ChemEd X Higher Education Editor role, I would like to thank Jack Barbera, Editor-in-Chief, and Erica Posthuma, Editor for High School Chemistry, for welcoming me to the ChemEd X editorial team. I am excited to work with them and the broader ChemEd X community to continue building and sharing resources that support chemistry educators at all levels, and to help grow the higher education presence within ChemEd X.

A bit about me and how I got here. My career in higher education began at Northern Arizona University where I received tenure and pivoted from a research program focused on heavy metals in the environment and environmental toxicology to chemistry education research. I ended my career at the University of Arizona, and in total have spent more than 30 years in higher education before retiring in 2023.

Throughout my career, I became increasingly interested in how students learn chemistry and why so many struggle with foundational ideas such as chemical symbols, formulas, and molecular representations. This led me to develop story-based and visual approaches to teaching chemistry, including a series of chemistry comic books and classroom activities designed to build what I call molecular literacy—the ability to read, write, and think using the language of chemistry.

In 2023, a PBS short documentary, Comic Book Chemistry, which featured this work and vision, was awarded an Emmy. In 2025, I shared this vision more broadly in a TEDx talk titled Molecular Literacy for Ages 8–108. My goal has always been to make chemistry more accessible, more human, and more understandable for all learners, from elementary school students to college majors.

I hold a Ph.D. in chemistry from Penn State University and was awarded a Chateaubriand Fellowship to conduct research at the Université Pasteur in Strasbourg, France under the direction of Nobel Prize winner Jean-Marie Lehn. As a faculty member, my research included environmental toxicology, medicinal chemistry, and chemistry education. I have published four chemistry textbooks, over 30 peer-reviewed articles, and presented my work internationally.

I am honored to be part of this community and excited for what we will build together.