JOHN DORSEY

A Florida State University researcher long acknowledged as a pioneer in the field of chromatography is receiving plenty of recognition from his peers.

John Dorsey, FSU's Katherine B. Hoffman Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been selected to receive the 2008 Dal Nogare Award from the Chromatography Forum of Delaware Valley. The award, which recognizes Dorsey's "contributions to the theory and application of chromatographic science," is one of the two highest awards offered in the field of chromatography; the other, the American Chemical Society Award in Chromatography, was awarded to Dorsey in 2006.

"I am extraordinarily flattered by this award--the list of prior recipients is humbling company," Dorsey said. "I consider it a testament to the quality of the students I have had over the years. The work for which I am being honored was truly a collaborative effort with all of them."

Chromatography is a method of chemical separations used in chemical analysis and in the production of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Among Dorsey's key contributions to the field is his role in the development of the Foley-Dorsey Equation, which was the first accurate method for calculation of the efficiency of chromatographic separations. That equation now is in commercial software packages and is taught in undergraduate and graduate chemistry textbooks.

The Dal Nogare Award, named for a former president of the Chromatography Forum of Delaware Valley, consists of a plaque and honorarium. Both will be presented at a symposium in Dorsey's honor at the 2008 Pittsburgh Conference in New Orleans in March 2008.

Of the 36 chromatography researchers from all over the world who have received the award to date, Dorsey is the first from Florida.

Closer to home, the 59th Southeast Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society will feature a "John Dorsey Separation Science Award Symposium." That symposium, scheduled for Oct. 25 in Greenville, S.C., will recognize "the contributions of Professor Dorsey to separation science, both as a leader in the development and applications of chromatographic theory and equally as an outstanding teacher and graduate mentor for three decades." (For more information on the symposium, visit <www.sermacs2007.org/Program/Symposia/Dorsey.html>.)

"In addition to being a world leader in separations science, John is also a great teacher and mentor," said Joseph Schlenoff, FSU's Mandelkern Professor of Polymer Science and chairman of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "These awards are well-deserved honors for one of FSU's finest."

Over 28 years as an educator, Dorsey has graduated 52 Ph.D. students, who are now leaders in industry, government and academia. Since 1999, he also has served as editor for the Journal of Chromatography, the oldest, largest and most cited journal in the field.