Andrew G Karatjas (he/him)
Professor College of Arts & Sciences Biological and Physical Sciences Providence
Biography and Expertise
After being heavily influenced by the education he received at Haverford College, Andrew Karatjas pursued his Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University with a goal of teaching at the undergraduate level.
Since 2006, Karatjas has taught a variety of chemistry courses while focusing on organic chemistry. With a background in organic synthesis and methodology, he has done research in the methodology of indoles and related natural products as well as hydroboration methodology.
More recently, Karatjas has developed a focus on chemical education research, specifically in looking at student self-assessment and how that affects performance in courses.
Most of his work has focused around student learning and looking for ways to improve student learning. As an organic chemist, he often teaches what is regarded as one of the most difficult courses that students take.
Too often, organic chemistry is thought of (and presented) dryly and has gained a stereotype as a class used to “weed out” pre-med students. Karatjas has developed a teaching style that emphasizes more than just rote memorization. Students need to be encouraged to think critically by applying familiar mechanisms to new situations.
For example, when he teaches organic reactions, he presents the material organized by reaction mechanisms. Karatjas emphasizes to students that memorization will only take them so far in the course. When he teaches the chapter on nucleophilic acyl substitution, he makes sure students realize that while this chapter has more than 20 reactions, most of the reactions use two general mechanisms. Therefore he attempts to get students to learn reactions by mechanisms and not memorization as it will allow them to apply what they have learned to new reactions.
By challenging the students in this way, it is Karatjas’ hope that students can transfer this learning to other situations (whether school related or not).
Through different strategies in the classroom as well as his research in chemical education, Karatjas’ students are well prepared for their future coursework and careers of choice.
Education
PhD
The Pennsylvania State University
BS
Haverford College
CITI Certification
CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative)
CITI Certification
CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative)
CITI Certification
CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative)
National Science Teachers Association
American Chemical Society
Fana, M. & Murray, B. & Webb, J. & Karatjas, A.
The Effect of Gender on Post Examination Confidence in Chemistry Courses
The Journal of College Science Teaching
54
1
42-50
Karatjas, A. & Webb, J.
Student-self Awareness: How well do Students Recall Recent Performance in a Course
International Journal of Research in Education and Science
10
2
394-406
Karatjas, A.
Student Self-Assessment of Exam Preparation in 100 and 200-Level Chemistry Courses.
Journal of College Science Teaching
Webb, J. & Karatjas, A.
Grade Perception of Students in a Chemistry Program
Chemistry Education Research and Practice
19
491-499
Karatjas, A. & Webb, J.
The Role of Student Major in Grade Perception in Chemistry Courses
The International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
11
Article 14
Karatjas, A. & McBriarty, H. & Braye, S. & Piscitelli, D.
Synthesis of Pinacolboranes
American Chemical Society
1236
227-240
Karatjas, A. & Webb, J.
The Role of Gender in Grade Perception in 100-Level Chemistry Courses
The Journal f College Science Teaching
45
24-29
Karatjas, A.
Use of student self-assessment of exams to investigate student learning in organic chemistry classes
American Chemical Society
1182
133-143
Karatjas, A.
A. G. The Use of iSpartan in Teaching Organic Spectroscopy
Journal of Chemical Education
91
937-938
Coca, A. & Karatjas, A. & Pang, J.
Chemistry 125 Lab Manual
WH Freeman
Karatjas, A.
Comparing College Students’ Self-Assessment of Knowledge in Organic Chemistry to Their Actual Performance
Journal of Chemical Education
90
1096-1099
Coca, A. & Karatjas, A.
Chemistry 260 Lab Manual
WH Freeman
Karatjas, A.
Chemistry 260 Laboratory Videos
WH Freeman Custom Publishing
Coca, A. & Karatjas, A.
Chemistry 261 Lab Manual
WH Freeman
Karatjas, A. & Vedejs, E.
Formation of Pinacol Boronate Esters via Pyridine Iodoborane Hydroboration
Journal of Organic Chemistry
73
9508-9510
Clay, J. & Karatjas, A. & Vedejs, E.
Hydroboration with Pyridine Borane at Room Temperature
Journal of the American Chemical Society
130
10828
Feldman, K. & Karatjas, A.
Extending Pummerer Reaction Chemistry. Asymmetric Synthesis of Spirocyclic Oxindoles via Chiral Indole-2-sulfoxides
Organic Letters
8
4137-4140
Feldman, K. & Vidulova, D. & Karatjas, A.
Development of a Strategy for the Regio- and Stereoselective Oxidative Cyclization of 3-(ω-Nucleophile)-Tethered Indoles.
Journal of Organic Chemistry
70
6429-6440
Feldman, K. & Karatjas, A.
Extending Pummerer Reaction Chemistry. Application to the Oxidative Cyclization of Tryptophan Derivatives
Organic Letters
6
2849-2852
Examination of the Accuracy of Student Predictions Over Time
Poster
Fall 2026 American Chemical Society National Meeting
American Chemical Society
Chicago
IL
United States
Grade Perceptions in a Chemistry Program – A Second Look
Oral Presentation
American Chemical Society National Meeting – Fall 2025
American Chemical Society
Washington
DC
United States
Grade Perceptions in Chemistry Courses
Oral Presentation
STEM Thursdays
Johnson & Wales University
Providence
RI
United States
Predictability of Student Course Grades in Chemistry Courses
Roundtable
JWU University Scholarship and Best Practices Expo
Johnson & Wales University
Providence
RI
Predictability of student course grades in chemistry courses
Oral Presentation
2023 Northeast Regional Meeting
American Chemical Society
Northeastern University
Boston
MA
United States
Use of E-Factor in understanding green chemistry through a Diels-Alder reaction in the undergraduate organic chemistry curriculum
Oral Presentation
265th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis
IN
United States
Factors that affect student self-perception in chemistry courses
Oral Presentation
265th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis
IN
United States
Student-Self Awareness: How Well Do Students Recall Recent Performance in a Course?
Poster
Johnson and Wales University Faculty Scholarship Showcase
Johnson and Wales University
Providence
RI
United States
The Effect of Gender on Post Examination Confidence in Chemistry Courses
Oral Presentation
263rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Online
Factors that affect student self-perception in chemistry courses
Oral Presentation
263rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Online
Student self-assessment of exam preparation in 100 and 200-level chemistry courses
Oral Presentation
263rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Online
Student self-awareness: How well do students recall recent performance within a course
moved online due to the Covid Pandemic
259th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Student self-perception throughout a course
Oral presentation moved online due to the pandemic
259th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Who Does Extra Credit?
Poster
Johnson and Wales University Faculty Scholarship Showcase
Johnson and Wales University
Providence
RI
United States
The Role of Gender in Grade Postdictions in Chemistry Courses
Poster
Johnson and Wales University Faculty Scholarship Showcase
Johnson and Wales University
Providence
RI
United States
Who Does Extra Credit?
Oral Presentation
256th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Boston
MA
United States
Predictability of Final Course Grades Based on First Examination Scores
Oral Presentation
254th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Washington
DC
United States
Role of Gender in Grade Postdictions in Chemistry Courses
Oral Presentation
254th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Washington
DC
United States
General Chemistry Performance as a Predictor in Organic Chemistry
Oral Presentation
252nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Philadelphia
PA
United States
Grade Perceptions in a Chemistry Program (From non-majors courses through graduate students) – Examination Postdictions and the Kruger-Dunning effect
Oral Presentation
252nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Philadelphia
PA
United States
The Role of Student Major in Grade Perception in Chemistry Courses
Oral Presentation
252nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Philadelphia
PA
United States
The Use of Exam Reflections to Assess Student Examination Performance in Organic Chemistry Classes
Oral Presentation
252nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Philadelphia
PA
United States
The Role of Gender in Grade Perception in Chemistry Courses
Oral Presentation
3rd Annual Math Colloquium
Johnson and Wales University
Providence
RI
United States
The Role of Gender in Grade Perception in Chemistry Courses
Oral Presentation
248th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
San Francisco
CA
United States
Grade Perceptions in a Chemistry Program (From non-majors courses through graduate students)
Oral Presentation
248th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
San Francisco
CA
United States
Formation of Vinyl Pinacol Boronate Esters from Hydroboration Reactions of Alkynes
Oral Presentation
248th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
San Francisco
CA
United States
The use of iSpartan in teaching organic spectroscopy
Oral Presentation
248th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
San Francisco
CA
United States
The Use of Exam Reflections to Assess Student Learning in Organic Chemistry Classes
Oral Presentation
23rd Meeting of the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education
American Chemical Society
Allendale
MI
United States
Grade Perceptions in Chemistry
Oral Presentation
39th Northeast Regional American Chemical Society Meeting
American Chemical Society
New Haven
CT
United States
Grade Perceptions in Chemistry
Oral Presentation
PAcE Seminar Series
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven
CT
United States
Synthesis of alkenylpinacolboranes from terminal alkynes
Oral Presentation
39th Northeast Regional American Chemical Society Meeting
American Chemical Society
New Haven
CT
United States
The Use of Exam Reflections to Assess Student Learning in Organic Chemistry Classes
Oral Presentation
246th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Indianapolis
IN
United States
Development of a method for the synthesis of 6-5-6 fused indole ring systems
Oral Presentation
246th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Indianapolis
IN
United States
Synthesis of Alkenyl Pinacolboronates From Alkynes
Oral Presentation
38th Northeast Regional American Chemical Society Meeting
American Chemical Society
Rochester
NY
Progress Toward the Total Synthesis of Coerulescine and Horsfiline
Oral Presentation
244th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
Philadelphia
PA
United States
Extending Pummerer Reaction Chemistry: Asymmetric Synthesis of Spirocyclic Oxindoles
Oral Presentation
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Synthesis of the Oxindole Core of TMC-95
Oral Presentation
223rd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society National Meeting
American Chemical Society
Orlando
FL
United States