Dr. Colleen Kelley - Chemist - Kids' Chemical Solutions
[PODCAST] Diverse Routes: Career Journeys in Science & Medicine (Episode 41)
Listen to Part 1 (Apple - Spotify)
Watch Part 1 (YouTube)
Watch Full episode (Patreon)
Dr. Colleen Kelley is a chemist, educator, and molecular literacy advocate dedicated to making chemistry fun, accessible, and meaningful for learners of all ages. A retired University of Arizona chemistry professor with over 30 years of teaching experience, Colleen is the creator of a children’s chemistry comic book series designed to build foundational fluency with atoms, molecules, and the periodic table. Her work was featured in the PBS short documentary Comic Book Chemistry, which won an Emmy in 2023, and later inspired her 2025 TEDx talk, Molecular Literacy for Ages 8–108. Colleen holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Penn State University, conducted postdoctoral research in France as a Chateaubriand Fellow under Nobel Laureate Jean-Marie Lehn, and has published four textbooks, more than 30 peer-reviewed articles, and presented her work internationally.
Episode Highlights:
Why college freshmen struggle with chemistry (and why it’s not their fault)
How an unfulfilled childhood career dream can still put you on the right path
What it’s really like to take an Army ROTC scholarship as a first-generation student
Resources
Become a patron @ patreon.com/diverseroutes for access to:
Extended video interview
Guest contact information (offers informational interviews, shadowing, and employment opportunities)
Bonus resources / links provided by the guest
