Carletti Named 2023 Benedictine College Distinguished Educator of the Year
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Atchison, Kan. (April 27, 2023) - Benedictine College has announced that its 2023 Distinguished Educator of the Year is Dr. Martha Carletti, Associate Professor of Biology. The award, which is the highest honor a faculty member at the college can receive, has been given for more than 30 years. Benedictine College students, faculty and staff make nominations for the distinction.
“I was shocked to be awarded the Educator of the Year. So many of my colleagues are wonderful and inspiring teachers who give so much for their students, and I am humbled and honored to be one of a long list of amazing educators at Benedictine,” said Carletti.
She earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology from William Jewell College in 2003, and her Ph.D. in Molecular and Integrative Physiology from the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2009. After a brief post-doctoral research position at the University of Kansas Medical Center studying breast cancer, Carletti stayed at home with her three children for a few years and did some adjunct teaching on the side.
After realizing that teaching was her passion, Carletti accepted a position at Benedictine College in 2014. Carletti teaches classes in Anatomy and Physiology, Immunology, Cell Physiology, and Principles of Biology. Her main area of research is a joint study of the effect of microgravity on mouse physiology with NASA and the University of Kansas Medical Center. Preliminary data from this project was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research in 2019.
“I enjoy my time with students, and it is nice to know that maybe they enjoy their time with me a little, too,” Carletti said. “The number of students that have texted, emailed, or stopped by my office to tell me congratulations is heartwarming and demonstrates that the students realize what an honor this is, and I am so grateful for all their nominations and kind words.”
She lives with her husband and three children in Weston, Missouri. In her free time, she loves to run marathons, travel with her family to National Parks, cheer her kids on at all their sporting events, and hang out with the family boxer dog, Chip.
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is honored to have been named one of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report for the past four years as well as one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by the Newman Guide and First Things magazine. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. It has a mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
