Colón named fellow of American Chemical Society

Luis A. Colón, A. Conger Goodyear Professor in the Department of Chemistry, has been named a fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies and publisher of some of the most prominent journals in the field of chemistry.

Colón, who serves as associate dean for graduate and postdoctoral education for the UB Graduate School, was among 57 scientists named to the 2016 class of ACS fellows.

The honor recognizes ACS members who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in chemistry and made important contributions to the society.

The 2016 fellows will be celebrated at a ceremony and reception on Aug. 22, during the ACS’s 252nd National Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia.     

Colón joined the UB chemistry faculty in 1993. Since then, he has been widely recognized in his field for his achievements as both a scholar and mentor.

As a researcher, his specialty is in the field of analytical chemistry, with particular interest in separation science — the science of separating chemicals in a mixture from one another, which is necessary in chemical analysis. His work ranges from the development of adsorbent materials used in separation techniques to the creation of strategies for separating and analyzing multicomponent chemical or biochemical samples.

He holds eight U.S. patents and has contributed to more than 100 research publications and delivered more than 190 invited lectures on his research worldwide.

Colón also has gained a reputation among colleagues and peers for his skills and enthusiasm as a teacher and mentor, and his efforts to promote diversity in STEM disciplines.

For 22 summers, Colón has brought undergraduates from his native Puerto Rico to Buffalo to conduct research. More than half a dozen of these students have gone on to enroll in UB’s graduate programs in chemistry, with four earning PhDs while working in Colón’s lab.

In all, during his career at UB, Colón has mentored 27 PhD students, 15 master’s students and more than 45 undergraduates. Many of these students are women or from underrepresented groups.

Among other recent recognitions, Colón traveled to the White House in 2015 to meet President Barack Obama, who named Colón as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Also in 2015, he was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).