Member Profile: Joy Charlton

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Few people can say they have had their dream job. Fewer can say they have had it for forty years and retired early enough to enjoy a fulfilling life with friends, family and Rotary. Joy Charlton is a professor emerita of Swarthmore College, one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, and a member of the Swarthmore Rotary club since 2008. She's taken on uniquely challenging roles within both organizations and succeeded especially well in all.

Born in North Carolina where she still has family, Joy was educated at the University of Virginia and Northwestern University where she received her Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. degrees in sociology. She switched her focus from psychology to sociology because the latter addressed the wider understanding of relationships of people in different social contexts, and she found that infinite diversity fascinating. "Social context defines the individual, and demographics predict outcomes. Knowing and understanding this helps to solve problems and improve people's lives," says Joy.

In her role as professor, Joy lectured and taught sociology while developing grants, conducting research, editing journals, consulting, and serving in leadership roles, including president, of national academic organizations. She also held multiple administrative positions at Swarthmore College. She was Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, and for ten years served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, where she worked closely with students and faculty on academic success.

Joy also served for eight years as the Executive Director of The Eugene M. Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility. The Lang Center facilitates the Swarthmore College commitment to academic excellence combined with a deep sense of ethical and social concern for improving lives locally and globally. It provides resources and guidance for projects, internships, teaching, research, and building community relationships.

Joy joined Rotary to serve as a liaison with the college and to participate more fully in the Swarthmore community. She has served as club president, board member, and as chair and member of multiple committees. For District 7450, Joy has served on the Rotary Foundation and chaired the Rotary Peace Fellowship Subcommittee since 2018. In 2021, she helped secure a Peace Fellowship for Julie Kornfeld to study for a Professional Development Certificate at the Rotary Peace Center of Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, and she has since become a “Trained Endorser” for international applicants, in India, Kenya, and Yemen. In April 2023, Joy received the District Outstanding Service Award for her work with the Peace Fellowship program.

Joy and her husband, David Page, were high school sweethearts, and their daughters are educators in Budapest, Hungary, and Asheville, North Carolina. It is clear that the field of education has always played a major role in Joy’s life and her goal, “To improve people’s lives.”