Dr. Rosann O'Neill

Senior Lecturer

Office: 235 H
Chemistry and Physics
College of Arts & Sciences
rosanno'neill@clayton.edu
Phone: (678) 466-4733

Biography

I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and raised in Trujillo Alto. I completed my primary and secondary education at Academia Espíritu Santo, attending from kindergarten through twelfth grade. From 1998 to 2002, I pursued my undergraduate studies at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras.
In June 2009, I earned a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, with research focused on the synthesis of fatty acids exhibiting potential biological activity. My broader research interests lie in organic synthesis, and more recently, I have concentrated on the development of heterocyclic compounds, particularly 4-oxazolidinones, which also demonstrate promising biological properties.
Following the completion of my doctoral studies, I joined the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey as an Assistant Professor, serving from August 2010 through June 2018.

Education

Ph D, Organic Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico , 2009

BS, Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico , 2002

Contracts, Grants, and Sponsored Research

Rosann ONeill, Syntheses of simple 4-oxazolidinones to evaluate their potential antibacterial activity against gram positive bacteria staphylococcus aureus, Fondo Institucional para el Desarrollo de la Investigacion (FIDI), Other, 9078.11, Not Funded – Fall 2016 to Spring 2018

Presentations

Aida Cruz, Rosann ONeill, Síntesis de 2,2-dimetil-oxa-3-azaespino [4.5] decan-4-one por ciclocondensación en condiciones inertes para evaluar su potencial actividad antibacteriana, Quinto Encuentro Estudiantil de Investigación, Creación y Servicio Comunitario June 16 2018

Rosann ONeill, Diana Ramos, Luis Navedo, Total synthesis of 2,2-dimethyl-5-phenyl-4- oxazolidinone and initial efforts towards the synthesis of its derivatives 5-(4-chlorophenyl)- 2,2 dimethyloxazolidin-4-one and 2,2-dimethyl-5-p-tolyloxazolidin-4-one, Cuarto Encuentro Estudiantil de Investigación, Creación y Servicio Comunitario July 12 2017

Rosann ONeill, Hazel Cruz, Total synthesis of 2,2-dimethyl-5-phenyl-4- oxazolidinone and initial efforts towards the synthesis of its derivatives 5-(4-chlorophenyl)- 2,2 dimethyloxazolidin-4-one and 2,2-dimethyl-5-p-tolyloxazolidin-4-one, Tercer Encuentro Estudiantil de Investigación, Creación y Servicio Comunitario May 20 2016

Rosann ONeill, Jorge Colon, Towards the synthesis of natural compound 2,2-dimethyl-5-(4- hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxazolidinone, Cuarto Encuentro Estudiantil de Investigación, Creación y Servicio Comunitario July 12 2017

Service to the University & University System of Georgia

University, General Education Assessment Committee, Committee Member – June 1 2025 to Present

Department, Safety Committee, Committee Member – August 2023 to Present

College, Mini grant Committee, Committee Member – August 2019 to May 2020

College, Williams Wood Lecture, Committee Member – Fall 2021 to Spring 2023

Service to the Profession

Other, Atlanta Regional Science Fair February 6 2025 to February 6 2025

Other, Clayton County Public Schools Regional Science and Engineering Fair February 8 2025 to Present

Teaching Interest

I have a strong academic and teaching background in Organic Chemistry and am well-qualified to teach General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and introductory-level chemistry courses. While the majority of my teaching experience has been at the college level, I have also taught high school courses in Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics.

Research Interest

My research interests are centered in the field of organic synthesis. My doctoral dissertation focused on the synthesis of fatty acids with potential biological activity. More recently, my work has concentrated on the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, particularly 4-oxazolidinones, which also exhibit promising biological properties.