MDCC Student Dalton Devall Gains Hands-On Research Experience at Ole Miss

MOORHEAD, Miss. (Sept. 8, 2026) - Mississippi Delta Community College student Dalton Devall spent part of his summer conducting chemistry research at the University of Mississippi through a partnership between the MDCC Honors College and the Ole Miss Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Devall was selected to participate in a five-week undergraduate summer research program supported by the University of Mississippi's Mississippi Impact Grant initiative. During the program, he worked alongside university faculty members and graduate students, gaining experience using advanced laboratory equipment.

“My experience at the University of Mississippi was an amazing opportunity,” Devall said. “I spent a month researching spiro-nanographenes and working with technology and equipment I had never experienced before.

“The relationships I built with the students and faculty made the program even more memorable. I was able to return and present my research at the end of the summer. I am also extremely thankful to MDCC for preparing me for this opportunity and helping me get a head start toward my future goals in the sciences.”

Devall, a sophomore general studies major originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, said the experience changed the direction he envisions for his academic and professional future.

“It really was life-changing,” Devall said. “The professors and the friends I made through the program are people I believe I will remain connected with for life. The faculty members were amazing, and it meant the world to me that they allowed me to conduct research with them.”

Before participating in the program, Devall had considered studying chemical engineering. His time in the Ole Miss laboratories, however, inspired a stronger interest in laboratory research.

“I loved getting to see how the laboratory was set up and the technology they had,” he said. “It was amazing to work in a university laboratory on a project I had never seen before and make progress. The experience gave me the desire to continue working in a laboratory.”

After graduating from MDCC, Devall plans to transfer to a university and pursue a degree in biological sciences with a concentration in neurology. His long-term goal is to study neurological disorders and help individuals who may not have access to effective treatment options.

“Since I have Tourette syndrome, I want to help people who have neurological disorders and cannot always get the help they need, or for whom medication does not always work,” Devall said. “I would love to work in that field and help them.”

The research opportunity grew from a partnership between the MDCC Honors College and chemistry faculty members at the University of Mississippi. The Mississippi Impact Grant program provides internal seed funding to support research, innovation and creative scholarship at the university.

“The partnership between chemistry faculty members from the University of Mississippi and MDCC has been very impactful,” MDCC Honors College co-coordinators Amy Biles and Brandi Pillow said. “Ole Miss faculty members have visited our campus and delivered dynamic presentations that showed our students the many possibilities available within the chemistry field.”

During the 2025-26 academic year, MDCC Honors College students visited the Ole Miss campus twice as guests of the chemistry department. Students toured the Oxford campus and several university research laboratories while learning about projects being conducted by faculty members and students.

“The Ole Miss chemistry faculty chose to focus their grant on developing stronger connections between the university and area community colleges,” Biles and Pillow said. “Those connections allow students to learn more about transfer opportunities, scientific research and the wide range of careers available to them.”

The partnership has created opportunities not only for Honors College students but also for other MDCC students like Devall interested in science, research and related careers.

For Devall, the experience provided more than technical knowledge. It gave him confidence, professional connections and a clearer vision for his future.

“The experience showed me that laboratory research is where I want to be,” Devall said. “It helped me see what is possible and what I can work toward after MDCC.”