Thank you to Board of Education member Dr. Tom Connors for visiting with the Piscataway High School ACS ChemClub to share a little bit of his own real-world expertise in chemistry!

Dr. Connors discussed with more than two dozen students the research he did for his postdoctoral fellowship in 1987 at the Connecticut State Department of Health. Dr. Connors’ work centered on the toxic byproducts of a pesticide used by farmers in Connecticut in the 1960s-1980s. The extensive use of the pesticide resulted in contamination of local drinking water, which was determined could cause genetic damage and potentially lead to cancer. Dr. Connor published these important research findings in 1990.

Dr. Connors is a longtime member of the American Chemical Society, with which the ChemClub is affiliated. This is the second year in row he has addressed the club, having discussed his doctoral work last year.

In addition to detailing his academic research, Dr. Connors told the students personal stories about his long journey to a Ph.D. and beyond, as well as his successful career in the Technology Division of the Colgate-Palmolive Co., which brought him to Piscataway.

Dr. Connors first join the Board of Education in 2008 and has become a great resource and champion for our students. His discussion perfectly aligns with ChemClub’s mission by highlighting real-world applications of chemistry beyond the classroom. Thanks to ChemClub adviser Amina Elmahalawy for welcoming Dr. Connors into her classroom.