Written By: Tiffany Whitfield
Oumar Sacko, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, studies the optimization of biochar by ozone treatment surface modification for use in soil amendments. Recently, he and other chemistry graduate students published an important discovery in ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, a peer-review journal.
Sacko and other graduate students working with Dr. James W, Lee, a pioneer in biochar research, demonstrated that ozonized biochar unlocks phosphate from a type of insoluble phosphate rock material. "We are still investigating the applications of this new discovery," said Sacko. Also, he is researching biosafety of genetically engineered (GE) cyanobacteria, a USDA-funded project aiming to investigate the biosafety of GE cyanobacteria with biofuels producing genes.
Sacko said, "I am not a first generation graduate student, but I am a first generation Ph.D. student and I strive to set the bar even higher for the next generation in my family." He is orginally from Mali, a French speaking Sahara Desert country in Western Africa.
He received his undergraduate degree from James Madison University, but was immediately intrigued by Old Dominion University. Upon his visit, five years ago, he said "the staff of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department was extremely welcoming and helpful" and the program offered the exact research program in biofuels that he was looking for.
"My advisor, Dr. Lee, has been very contributory to my learning and success at ODU," said Sacko. "Being in the Lee Group has been great; I was quickly given lot of responsibilities and leadership roles which made me navigate away from my comfort zone and grow in many aspects," said Sacko.
"ODU is special because there is so much room for growth, exploration, and innovation," said Sacko. He enjoys collaborating with other disciplines outside of the sciences and has mentored more than 15 "wonderful undergraduate students with a passion for science.". At ODU, "I conduct a good amount of work learning new top-notch instrumentation and create a network of future scientists like myself." After graduation Sacko wants to work in the industry and be an innovator. For potential students considering ODU for graduate school, Sacko said, "innovation is trying things that have not been done and at ODU your creativity and innovation are highly rewarded."