UT Arlington chemistry professor to be honored at international conference
University of Texas at Arlington professor Purnendu “Sandy” Dasgupta will be honored as the 2012 recipient of the Dal Nogare Award on March 12 at the Pittcon Conference and Expo in Orlando, one of the premier events in the world of laboratory science.
Dasgupta is UT Arlington’s Jenkins Garrett Professor of Chemistry. Given by the Chromatography Forum of the Delaware Valley, the Dal Nogare recognition honors that group’s co-founder and second president, Stephen Dal Nogare. Since 1972, the award has honored scientists on the basis of their contributions to the fundamental understanding of the chromatographic process. Dasgupta's award symposium is one of the few at the conference that will be webcast live and on-demand.
Dasgupta has made numerous improvements to methods of ion chromatography, the process of separating and detecting ions – atoms and molecules bearing a net electrical charge – for analysis. Ion chromatography can be used in air or water quality monitoring, drug development and several other applications. Dasgupta is credited with the development of electrodialytic suppressors, eluent generators and post column reagent introduction devices.
"We are so pleased to see Dr. Dasgupta honored with this prestigious award for his energetic and varied pursuits in expanding the field of chromatography,” said Ronald L. Elsenbaumer, UT Arlington provost and vice president for academic affairs and a former chair of the chemistry and biochemistry department. “Years of discoveries lie ahead thanks to the more refined equipment and better processes he has developed."
Dasgupta said he is honored and humbled to become part of the elite group of Dal Nogare recipients. He joined the College of Science Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2007, following a distinguished career at Texas Tech University. Dasgupta is the author more than 400 scientific papers and book chapters, holds 22 U.S. patents and has been awarded more than $18 million in research grants.
Some of his most noted work focuses on the presence of the contaminant perchlorate in the environment. He is currently researching how it could be transmitted through human breast milk. Dasgupta also recently received a $1.2 million grant from NASA to develop “An Ion Chromatograph for Extraterrestrial Explorations.” His goal is to create a better system for testing the chemical composition of soil on Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies.
Janusz Pawliszyn, professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Waterloo, is one of the scientific colleagues who nominated Dasgupta for the Dal Nogare award. Pawliszyn said he always has been impressed by Dasgupta’s “innovative and practical research.”
“He has one of the most impressive records of achievements among analytical chemists alive,” Pawliszyn said. “I would rate him as one of the top ten productive and imaginative analytical researchers in the world.”
Dasgupta is one example of the dedicated researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington, a comprehensive research institution of nearly 33,500 students in the heart of North Texas. Visit www.uta.edu to learn more.
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