FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Charles Wilkins, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arkansas, will receive the Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Fields of Analytical Chemistry in recognition of his lifetime of accomplishments in research on Nov. 20 in Somerset, New Jersey. The Eastern Analytical Symposium, which makes the award annually, in the past has recognized professors from Stanford University, Cornell University and the University of Maryland.

In 1974, Charles Wilkins co-authored one of the first texts on laboratory computer applications in chemistry. By 1980, he pioneered the use of Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS), an analytical technique now used by chemists worldwide. Today he continues his innovations by building new spectrometers and using them to characterize polymers, proteins and pollutants.

Since arriving as Distinguished Professor at the University of Arkansas in 1998, he has created the Center for Sensing Technology and Research (CSTAR), purchased a 9.4 Tesla FTMS and helped establish the Statewide Mass Spectrometry Facility.

In honor of his innovative approaches, he received the ACS Franklin & Field Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mass Spectrometry.

The Eastern Analytical Symposium is a non-profit professional organization that sponsors a symposium on various topics in analytical chemistry as well as an exposition of instruments, equipment and supplies used in analytical chemistry. The EAS has the second largest meeting in the U.S. dedicated to the needs of analytical chemists and those in the allied sciences.