Efpraxia Kartsonaki

Dr. Efpraxia Kartsonaki, known professionally as Effie Kartsonaki, is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences within the Faculty of Science at the University of Queensland. She obtained her BSc in Chemistry from the University of Crete, Greece, in 2000, followed by an MSc in Archaeomaterials from the University of Sheffield, UK, in 2001. Kartsonaki completed her PhD in Archaeological Chemistry at the University of Crete in 2012, specializing in the use of 2D NMR techniques to analyze organic materials in archaeological and historical objects. After relocating to Australia, she earned a Graduate Diploma in Education. From 2001 to 2008, she served as an archaeological chemist at the University of Sheffield, the British School at Athens in Greece, and the Institute of Electronic Structure and Lasers in Heraklion, Crete, contributing to projects such as stylistic and chemical analyses of pottery.

Since 2015, Kartsonaki has been a teaching-focused academic at the University of Queensland, playing a key role in the first-year chemistry program that enrolls over 3,500 students from 47 programs annually. Her research interests have transitioned from archaeological chemistry to chemistry education, encompassing mental imagery strength and visuospatial problem solving in chemistry, representational competency, peer mentoring's impact on student mentors’ self-identity and sense of belonging, student conceptions of scientific modeling, atomic structure, and bonding models, as well as online, virtual, and adaptive learning environments in large introductory courses. Notable publications include ‘Seeing’ chemistry: investigating the contribution of mental imagery strength on students’ thinking in relation to visuospatial problem solving in chemistry (Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 2025, with Baade, Khosravi, and Lawrie); Red-figure pottery of uncertain origin from Corinth: stylistic and chemical analyses (Hesperia, 2010, with McPhee); and Characterization of Iron Age pottery from eastern Turkey by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) (Journal of Archaeological Science, 2008, with Erdem et al.). In 2017, she was a member of the UQ First Year Chemistry team awarded the national Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) for Programs that Enhance Learning, recognizing innovations in curricula and teaching flexibility. Her contributions have advanced pedagogical strategies, including the development of iPASS: online collaborative peer-assisted study support, enhancing student engagement and understanding in chemistry.

Professional Email: e.kartsonaki@uq.edu.au