The American Chemical Society,
the worlds largest scientific society, has named three University of
Delaware professors Karl Booksh, George W. Luther III and David C.
Martin to its 2015 Class of Fellows.
Started in 2009, the ACS Fellows program recognizes members for
outstanding achievements in and contributions to science, the profession
and ACS.
The 2015 Class of Fellows includes 78 scientists and engineers from academia, industry, government labs and small business.
Fewer than 1,000 of the societys nearly 158,000 members have been
distinguished with this honor, placing Booksh, Luther and Martin among
the top 1 percent of their peers. They will be recognized during the
societys national meeting in Boston on Aug. 17.
Congratulations to Drs. Booksh, Luther and Martin, said Provost
Domenico Grasso.
Not only do they exemplify Delawares long-standing
culture of excellence, they further elevate our place in the world as a
leading research institution.
About the honorees
Karl Booksh, professor of analytical chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, which is housed in UDs College of Arts and Sciences, specializes in developing in-situ chemical sensors to monitor environmental, biomedical and industrial processes.
In addition to research, Booksh is passionate about preparing
students with disabilities to become leaders in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM). He has served as chair of the ACS
Chemists with Disabilities group and previously served on the National
Science Foundation Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and
Engineering.
At UD, Booksh founded the Chemical Sciences Leadership Initiative,
which brings undergraduates from across the country to campus annually
to gain practical experience as research assistants working with UD
professors.
George W. Luther, III, is the Maxwell P. and Mildred H. Harrington Professor of Marine Studies in the School of Marine Science and Policy, which is housed in UDs College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment.
He holds joint appointments in UDs departments of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Plant and Soil
Sciences.
An expert in understanding the various forms chemical elements take
in marine waters and sediments, Luther was selected for his
contributions to marine and environmental chemistry. In particular, he
was cited for helping to pioneer the development of in situ
voltammetry, and applying physical-inorganic chemistry to understand
redox and trace element cycling; natural metal-sulfide nanoparticle
formation.
Active in ACS since 1969, Luther has served as chair of the North
Jersey Local Section and the Division of Geochemistry, and has served as
an ACS councilor and alternate councilor, and on several council, local
section and division committees.
He is the editor-in-chief of Aquatic Geochemistry. He is a
fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and
the American Geophysical Union. He is a recipient of the Geochemical
Societys Clair C. Patterson Award, the ACS Division of Geochemistry
Medal and UDs highest faculty honor, the Francis Alison Award.
David C. Martin joined the UD faculty in 2009 as the Karl W. and Renate B??er Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. He has a joint appointment in biomedical engineering.
Martins research focuses on high resolution transmission and low
voltage electron microscopy studies of defects in polymers and organic
molecular crystals. His expertise lies in the molecular design,
synthesis and characterization of electrically active polymers. These
materials are of interest for a wide-range of applications including
biomedical devices and sensors, thin-film transistors and light-emitting
diodes.
The long-term goal of his work is to improve the performance of
bionic devices that are directly integrated into the body. Examples of
these include cochlear implants to restore hearing, retinal implants to
restore vision and next-generation limb prosthetics.
Martin served as president of the Polymeric Materials Science and
Engineering division of ACS. He is a fellow of the American Physical
Societys Division of Polymer Physics and the American Institute for
Medical and Biological Engineering.
Martin earned his doctoral degree in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Other UD connections
Previous UD faculty members to named ACS fellows include Herbert
Allen, Eric Furst, Kristi Kiick, Michael Klein and E. Terry Papoutsakis.
