College Announces Winner of Grattidge-Ohnstad Science Competition

Science students used the photoelectric effect along with Einstein's theoretical model to determine the value of the Planck constant h during the Annual Grattidge-Ohnstad Science Competition in the Center for Science and Technology. Kell Berliner, who plans to take his MCATs this summer and continue on to medical school, won the competition, earning a $1,000 scholarship awarded by the SUNY Schenectady Foundation.

Kell, who is majoring in Science, is also pursuing his MBA from Purdue University. He holds two bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and English Language and Literature from the University of Georgia. He is completing his A.S. degree in Science and earning his pre-requisites for medical school which he plans to attend in Fall 2027 to become a primary care doctor. An accomplished athlete, Kell is a member of Judo Team USA and competed in the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. He has won nationals twice, has been ranked number one in the United States for his weight class, and his peak rank was 76 in the world. Most recently, he competed in the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam. Kell still trains and competes, plus he works full time for a medical firm and pharmacy, all while going to school full time.

He shared, “Winning this year’s Grattidge-Ohnstad Science Competition was a great way to end the semester. I’m grateful to the Foundation for the $1,000 scholarship which will be very useful. I plan to go into primary care. My Dad is a doctor with his own clinic in Georgia and he’s been very successful. There’s a shortage of primary care doctors right now, so I plan to help fill that need.”

“I remember meeting Kell at New Student Orientation. When I see him around campus, he is enthusiastic about learning and is full of great questions, which is what science is all about. I have no doubt that he will continue to be successful in his future plans for medical school and practice,” said Dr. Hope Sasway, Dean of the School of Math, Science, Technology and Health.

The Grattidge-Ohnstad Science Competition was established by the late Dr. Walter Grattidge, a longtime friend of the College and generous donor to the SUNY Schenectady Foundation. For more than three decades, Dr. Grattidge worked at General Electric Research and Development in electronics, information science, and management.