A Teach For America alum, Joseph E. Ocando holds M.S. and B.A. degrees in chemistry from New York University. After completing undergraduate studies, he worked in molecular epidemiology with Dr. Fung-Lung Chung, designing, executing and interpreting experiments. In addition, Joe has presented original research at meetings of the American Chemical Society (1996-1998) and has co-authored five published scientific papers based on statistical analysis in highly prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals, including Cancer Research and Chemical Research in Toxicology. A sampling of Joe’s published work:
Nath, R.G., Ocando, J.E., Guttenplan, J.B. and Chung, F-L. (1998). “1,N2-Propanodeoxyguanosine Adducts: Potential New Biomarkers of Smoking Induced DNA Damage in Human Oral Tissue.” Cancer Research, 58, 581-584.
Chung, F.-L., Zhang, L., Ocando, J.E., and Nath, R.G. (1999). “Role of 1,N2-Propanodeoxyguanosine Adducts as Endogenous DNA Lesions in Rodents and Humans.” Exocyclic DNA Adducts in Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis: IARC Scientific Publications No.150. International Agency for Research on Cancer.
To share his passion for science and learning, Joe joined Teach for America. He was placed in Washington Heights, NYC, teaching life science and math to middle school students from astonishingly low-SES backgrounds. After bringing applied cutting-edge science to this under-resourced area, he innovated manufacturing processes at a leading company in the private pharmaceutical sector, while enrolling in graduate school at the NYU Department of Chemistry.
Joe currently works as an analytical chemist in New York City and is pursuing the coveted Six Sigma Black Belt certification. In addition to his scientific work, Joe assists in Teach For America recruitment.
“No matter what I end up doing in the future,” Joe says, “Teach For America is by far the best thing I’ve ever done and probably ever will do with my life.” His TFA experience has carried over in the form of volunteering and advocating in the education world. Currently, Joe runs a start-up company producing educational rap for kids, found at http://rhymenlearn.com/.
