FACSS Student Award and Hirschfeld Scholars

FACSS is proud to support the development of the next generation of leaders in analytical science. Pre-doctoral students presenting at the conference are encouraged to submit applications for the FACSS Student Award and the Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award. Both awards recognize research excellence but highlight the different ways that this may be achieved.

The FACSS Student Award is given to the student who has furthered the state-of-the-art in their chosen field(s) and in so doing, advanced the understanding of important scientific or societal questions. The recipient will have a strong research record and be identifiable as an emerging leader in analytical chemistry.

The winner(s) of the Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award will best exemplify the extraordinary creativity of the award’s namesake, whose deep understanding of the chemistry and physics of measurement science allowed him to find new connections and applications that eluded most practitioners. The recipient(s) and their work will be seen as potentially defining the future practice of analytical chemistry.  To learn more about the remarkable contributions of Tomas B. Hirschfeld, click here.

Nominations

To be considered for either award, students must submit an abstract for oral presentation at SciX, then submit the following as a single PDF file: 

• The application form 
• Two letters of nomination, including one by the student’s mentor
• A copy of the candidate’s résumé
  
• A copy of the candidate's graduate transcript
• Copies of reprints and/or preprints of research accomplished

Please submit all of the above in one combined PDF during abstract submission by the oral abstract deadline.

If you have any questions, please contact us at scix@scixconference.org.

FACSS Student Award Recipient 2024

Mahas Zarei

Mahsa Zarei is a Ph.D. candidate in Professor Edward Grant's group at the University of British Columbia. Prior to her doctoral studies, she earned her bachelor's degree in Applied Chemistry with a minor in Statistics at the University of Tehran, Iran. During her undergraduate studies, Mahsa developed a strong foundation in chemometrics and multivariate data analysis. Throughout her Ph.D., Mahsa has specialized in the development of sophisticated data processing algorithms for handling Raman spectroscopy data, significantly burdened by fluorescence. Her research has been pivotal in advancing spectroscopic techniques, using conventional single laser and dual laser Shifted Excitation Raman Difference Spectroscopy (SERDS) to improve the extraction and quantification of spectral data from complex samples. This work has crucial implications for both environmental and biomedical fields, where accurate data analysis is 

essential. 

Her notable collaboration with Miraterra Technologies Corporation has led to the development of a novel sensor system that enhances the reliability of spectrochemical analyses, particularly in the context of environmental sustainability. Although the application of these techniques in soil carbon quantification is a part of her research, her primary focus has been on refining the analysis of complex Raman spectra through innovative preprocessing methods and machine learning techniques. Mahsa is set to expand her research into biomedical applications at Harvard Medical School's Bio-Optics Lab under Professor Seok-Hyun Yun, where she will apply her expertise in 4D data analysis to cellular tracking using Laser Particles (LPs). Her work aims to provide insights into cellular dynamics and disease progression, bridging significant gaps between laboratory research and practical applications in health and environmental sciences.

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar RecipientS 2024

Heidi V. Kastenholz 

Heidi V. Kastenholz is Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry at Duke University, advised by Dr. Warren S. Warren. She received her B.S. from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. Her undergraduate research focused on verification of reference materials used in cultural heritage science conducted with Dr. Anne Wilson and Michael Samide at Butler and Dr. Gregory D. Smith at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. Heidi was part of the 2019 cohort of Junior Fellows at the Library of Congress and studied optical brighteners in paper with the Preservation and Research Testing Division.

Heidi's dissertation work focuses on using nonlinear optical systems to study materials used in cultural heritage in order to identify the materials used and even inform understanding of potential degradation. Her current project works to noninvasively better identify carbon-based black pigments with pump-probe microscopy and supervised machine learning. She is currently a Bonk Fellow with the Duke Department of Chemistry to support her collaboration with the Nasher Museum of Art to teach an undergraduate course focused on technical art history. 

Henry T. Manelski

Henry T. Manelski is a PhD student at Purdue University in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS). After completing a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at JPL/Caltech working with data from the Curiosity rover, Henry earned a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Columbia University in 2022. Henry then joined Purdue as a PhD student to apply his analytical skillset to help advance our understanding of Mars geochemistry and near-surface processes. He is a student collaborator on the SuperCam instrument on Perseverance Mars rover, which landed in Jezero Crater, Mars in 2021. His work focuses on the limitations and novel applications of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) with SuperCam. His current research involves estimating physical properties of LIBS plasmas generated on Mars to inform our elemental calibration, as well as developing new calibrations for trace metals never before analyzed with SuperCam. This has provided the rover team with important context for SuperCam's LIBS observations and contributed key details to constrain the formation/alteration history of the rocks encountered on Mars. At Purdue, Henry is the organizer of the EAPS Department's weekly planetary science seminar (Crater Café) and helps run the Perseverance Rover Science Blog, which provides routine updates on the rover's activities and milestones.

Past recipients

2023

FACSS Student Award

Aleksandr Razumtcev, Purdue University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Dongkwan Lee, University of Illinois

Adam Rish , Duquesne University

2022

FACSS Student Award

Alexis Weber, University at Albany, SUNY

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Sayantan Mahapatra, University of Illinois

Anna Wójtowicz, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland

2021

FACSS Student Award

Vanessa Cupil-Garcia, Duke University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Nicolas Morato, Purdue University

Grant Myres, University of Utah

2020

Not awarded 

2019

FACSS Student Award

Ewelina Mistek, SUNY Albany

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Shachi Mittal, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Erika Portero, University of Maryland College Park

2018

FACSS Student Award

Edward D. Hoegg, Clemson University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Katie Spalding, University of Strathclyde

2017

FACSS Student Award

Nicholas Riley, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Aboualizadeh Ebrahim, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

Paidi Santosh, Johns Hopkins University

2016

FACSS Student Award

Mustafa Unal, Case Western Reserve University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Kyle Doty, SUNY Albany

Mario Saucedo-Espinosa,Rochester Institute of Technology

2015

FACSS Student Awards

Marie Richard-Lacroix, University of Montreal

Lynn X. Zhang, Clemson University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Stephanie DeJong, University of South Carolina

Patrik K. Johansson, University of Washington

2014

FACSS Student Award

James R. Hands, University of Central Lancashire

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Menglian Zhang, Ohio University

Andrew Schwartz, Indiana University

2013

FACSS Student Award

Larry Gibson, University of Notre Dame

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Gloria Sheynkman, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Bai Nie, Michigan State University

2012

FACSS Student Award

Ali Khumaeni, University of Fukui, Japan

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Nathaniel Gomer, University of South Carolina

Rohith Reddy, University of Illinois

2011

FACSS Student Award

Yun Zhang, Ohio University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Olivier R. Bolduc, University of Montreal

2010

FACSS Student Award

Jacob Shelley, Indiana University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Ishan Barman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Anil Kumaar Kodali, University of Illinois

2009

FACSS Student Award

Yuze Sun, University of Missouri

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Matthew Lockett, University of Wisconsin

2008

FACSS Student Award

David Strasfeld, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Christopher R. Field, University of Illinois

Matthew Keller, Vanderbilt University

2007

FACSS Student Award

Sen Li, Purdue University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Matthew Schulmerich, University of Michigan

Junrong Zheng, Stanford University

2006

FACSS Student Award

Daniel B. Bassil, University of Missouri, Columbia

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Andrea Tao, University of California, Berkeley

Tim M. Brewer, Clemson University

2005

FACSS Student Award

Allen E. Haddrell, Simon Fraser University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Jean-Francois Masson, Arizona State University

2004

FACSS Student Award

Lawrence W. Dick, Jr., Duke University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Ryan J. Priore, University of South Carolina

2003

FACSS Student Award

Yongfen Chen, University of New Orleans

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Brandon T. Ruotolo, Texas A&M University

2002

FACSS Student Award

James H. Barnes IV, Indiana University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Christian Pellerin, University Laval

2001

FACSS Student Award

Heather Peters, Wake Forest University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Michael Doescher, University of South Carolina

2000

FACSS Student Award

Christopher D. Zangmeister, University of Arizona

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Dimitri Pappas, University of Florida

1999

FACSS Student Award

Renee JiJi, Arizona State University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Sara L. McIntosh, Duke University

1998

FACSS Student Award

John A. McLean, George Washington University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Award

Susan L. R. Barker, University of Michigan

1997

FACSS Student Award

Bryan C. Castle, University of Florida

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Darren Dunphy, University of Arizona

Radislav Potyrailo, Indiana University

1996

FACSS Student Award

Christine M. Ingersoll, State University of New York at Buffalo

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Paul Edmiston, University of Arizona

Steven R. Emory, Indiana University

Dana M. Spence, Michigan State University

1995

FACSS Student Award

David E. Cliffel, University of Texas at Austin

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Curtis D. Cleven, Purdue University

Robert J. Willicut, Louisiana State University

Jeremy M. Shaver, Duke University

1994

FACSS Student Award

Diana S. West, Wright State University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Jeanette K. Rice, State University of New York at Buffalo

W. Russell Everett, University of Arkansas

1993

FACSS Student Award

Michael Ruberto, Seton Hall University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Ray Bakhtiar, North Dakota State University

Sheryl Ann Tucker, University of North Texas

1992

FACSS Student Award

Evelyn Guizhen Su, University of Connecticut

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Vasilis Gregoriou, Duke University

Patrick A. Limbach, Ohio State University

Jeff Mazzeo, Northeastern University

1991

FACSS Student Award

Rebecca M. Dittmar, Duke University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Scott E. Van Bramer, University of Colorado

Marilyn O’Grady, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Chris G. Gill, University of British Columbia

1990

FACSS Student Award

Richard L. Irwin, University of Connecticut

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Paul Shiundu, University of British Columbia

1989

FACSS Student Award

Patrick J. Treado, University of Michigan

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Renato Zenobi, Stanford University

Mingda Wang, Ohio State University

1988

FACSS Student Award

George Yefchak, Michigan State University

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

James T. Cronin, University of Delaware

Sue E. Zhu, Villanova University

1987

Tomas Hirschfeld Scholar Awards

Jonathan V. Sweedler, University of Arizona

Brad Tenge, University of Washington

Peter Wentzell, Michigan State University