Chemistry Department Faculty

As the Director of Introductory Chemistry Laboratories, Professor O’Connell oversees the operations of the General and Organic laboratory courses. In addition to supervising graduate Teaching Assistants, who are the instructors for these courses, she is responsible for establishing the course content.

Professor O’Connell has strengthened the introductory laboratory curriculum by implementing “open-ended” projects in both the General and Organic lab courses, which serve to culminate each semester. These projects require students to devise their own experimental procedures to solve a problem or explore a chemical principle.  She has also implemented the use of an electronic lab notebook in the introductory lab courses.

Professor O’ Connell serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Chemistry department and is Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee. She also serves as an advisor to and a role model for the Women in Science and Technology Program.