OCC Student's Research to be Published

If you don't live in the world of research, you may not understand the magnitude of this story. Onondaga Community College student Elliott O'Connell will soon have the results of his summer research published in a peer-reviewed journal. Articles which appear in peer-reviewed journals first go through an evaluation process during which expert scholars critically assess the quality and scientific merit of the article and its research. Articles which survive the process are published in peer-review literature. "It's a big deal," said SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) Chemistry Professor Theodore Dibble. "Very few undergraduates will be co-authors of papers. To have it this early in Elliott's college career is very rare."

O'Connell is an Engineering Science major who graduated from Chittenango High School in 2019, started at a four-year school studying psychology, took a break from college, then decided to come to OCC where both of his parents had earned degrees. He's excelled academically, earning membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

He was introduced to Professor Dibble in January as part of a week-long research session between the fall and spring semesters. The topic of their winter research was Atmospheric Chemistry of Air Pollution.

When they began collaborating again in late May, the focus was on the chemistry of mercury in the atmosphere or more formally "Computational Chemistry with Mercury to Help Support Experiments." Documented conclusions they reached will be submitted to a peer-review journal for publication. "This is not my field. I'm not a chemist, but it's been fun," said O'Connell. "I'm seeing a field I don't normally work in and feel I'm doing well in. I'm having fun with it!"

O'Connell will continue doing research at SUNY ESF, then return to OCC in the fall. He's considering a career in either mechanical engineering or civilian engineering, and is two to three semesters away from completing his degree.

His summer research is part of OCC's Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program. It's supported by a grant from the Technology Alliance of Central New York, which is also known as TACNY.