Candidate for Chair-Elect
Kate Perrault Uptmor, College of William and Mary
I am an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the College of William & Mary. My research specializes in the development of multidimensional separations is supported through several federal grants, foundation grants, and industry support. One of the biggest joys of my career thus far has been mentoring numerous undergraduate researchers as part of my teaching and research. I am interested in curriculum development for multidimensional separations in undergraduate classes, as well as place-based research. I have coordinated and participated in several events highlighting gender disparity for women and girls in STEM and specifically in analytical chemistry, and also serve on the ACS Women Chemists Committee. After being awarded the Satinder Ahuja Award in 2020, I felt compelled to get involved in the growth of SCSC and have been delighted to serve on the Committee for four years, first as Executive Committee Member and second as Secretary. As part of SCSC, I have been contributing by serving on award review committees, contributing to the rotating authors of the LCGC blog, promoting SCSC on social media, and attending meetings of the subdivision. As secretary I maintain the website, organizing LCGC blog rotations, assisting with programming, take meeting minutes, and manage scheduling. I am excited to assist my colleagues in a more dedicated way through the role of Chair Elect. I believe that I can bring a perspective on separation science, undergraduate needs, outreach activities, and diversity and inclusion to the SCSC that will assist in generating meaningful and impactful programming in the years to come.
Candidate for Secretary
Caitlin N. Cain, University of Michigan
It is my honor to run for Secretary of the ACS Subdivision on Chromatography and Separations Chemistry (SCSC). Over the past year, I have proudly served our subdivision as an Executive Committee Member, supporting its growth and success. Now, I am excited for the opportunity to take on a greater leadership role and continue strengthening our community! Separation science has been the main theme of my undergraduate, graduate, and now postdoctoral research career. My primary goal in this leadership position will be to strengthen our growing network of separation scientists, with a principal focus on connecting younger students with more established researchers from academia, government, and industry. With a broad research background, I believe that I am in a unique position to foster these connections for the next generation of separation scientists. While serving the subdivision, I will continue our work to expand programming and networking opportunities for all members and using my platform to connect researchers from different backgrounds and career stages. I look forward to serving as your Secretary and continuing to support the meaningful impact of the ACS SCSC.
Candidates for Executive Committee Member
Hayley Brawley, United States Air Force
I am elated to be considered for a position on SCSC’s Executive Committee, where I hope to bring both organizational experience and a passion for cross-disciplinary collaboration. My background is in analytical chemistry, with a focus on chromatographic and spectroscopic method development to study complex biological systems. While my research spans space medicine, nutrition, and biochemistry, I consistently approach these fields through the lens of analytical chemistry, demonstrating how tools like chromatography and mass spectrometry are essential to advancing knowledge across scientific domains. I currently serve as an at-large delegate for the American Society for Nutrition’s Vitamins and Minerals Research Interest Group and contribute to the National Postdoctoral Association’s engagement committee, where I help develop content to engage members at all career levels, plan programming for national meetings, and design mentorship strategies to support early-career scientists. These roles have strengthened my ability to organize impactful events, foster inclusive dialogue, and advocate for the broader analytical community. If elected, I would contribute enthusiastically to the planning of programming for annual meetings (ACS, Pittcon, etc) and online events. I am committed to helping the division grow by connecting analytical chemistry with emerging areas and supporting a vibrant, interdisciplinary future.
Amit Dhundi, QIS Inc.
I bring with me years of chromatography experience (HPLC, UHPLC, LC-MS, SEC). Currently I work on investigating how treated surfaces affect adsorptive losses, using LC-MS. I believe my perspective from industry will help greatly in taking this Subcommittee to new paths in connecting industry-academia. Additionally, I have been working in Sales and Marketing, which provide me skills to extend the outreach of our Subcommittee via extensive networking. My company is a regular attendee at Pittcon, ACS, HPLC, EAS and CFDV, enabling me with a wide networking platform.
Muhammad Qamar Farooq, Amgen
As a scientist specializing in small molecule drug discovery at Amgen, I focus on the purification of small and hybrid molecules using advanced chromatographic techniques. My role as a separation scientist in drug discovery drives my commitment to enhancing our field and sharing knowledge with the broader scientific community.​
Serving on the ACS SCSC Executive Committee for the past two years has been an honor, providing me with valuable insights into the subdivision’s operations and initiatives. If re-elected, I aim to:​ Foster Connections: Bridge the gap between seasoned professionals and emerging scientists, particularly students interested in chromatography and separation chemistry; Expand Regional Engagement: Increase SCSC activities and visibility within the Southern California region; and Enhance Outreach: Promote the subdivision and the field of separation science across various platforms, extending our reach internationally.​
My passion for analytical chemistry and dedication to the advancement of separation science drive my desire to continue contributing to the SCSC. I respectfully seek your support in this election to further our collective goals.
David Hage, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Throughout my career, I have been conducting research related to chromatography and analytical separations, as well as in mentoring and educating students in this field. As a member of the SCSC Executive Committee, I would seek to continue advancing this area by providing opportunities such as workshops, lectures and research symposia that may be used to train and educate young scientists in chemical separations. As an editor, I am committed to training students and researchers in scientific writing, especially as related to chromatography and analytical separations. In addition, I have long been active in creating new educational tools on these topics for use by undergraduates, graduate students, researchers, and individuals and in areas such as pharmaceutical science, clinical testing, and environmental science that heavily rely on chemical analysis and separations. I believe a position on the SCSC Executive Committee will provide me with new, unique opportunities to pursue the advancement of analytical chemical separations in each of these arenas.
Ivan Kahwa, Leipzig University
I am honoured to be nominated for the Executive Committee of the Subdivision on Chromatography and Separations Chemistry. My research focuses on integrating natural products with modern analytical techniques to discover and analyse bioactive compounds. I am committed to advancing the field of chromatography and separation chemistry through collaborative research and innovation. If elected, I will work to foster interdisciplinary collaborations and promote the application of chromatographic techniques in natural product research.
Walter Brent Wilson, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Walter Brent Wilson is a research chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He is currently the coordinator of the Cannabis research program in the Chemical Sciences Division at NIST with a focus on developing analytical methods, Cannabis reference materials, and the administration of a Cannabis Laboratory Quality Assurance Program. As part of his work, he is involved in the development of chromatographic methods with the primary focus on separating natural and synthetic cannabinoids in complex Cannabis matrices: dried plant, extracts, concentrates, edibles, etc. Gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled with absorbance detectors, mass spectrometers, and tandem mass spectrometers are his primary analytical techniques. He is an active member of the D37 Cannabis Committee in ASTM and the Cannabis Analytical Science Program (CASP) in AOAC International, where he provides his expertise in improving analytical measurements and their standardization. He is also responsible for quantitatively measuring tobacco-related alkaloids in tobacco products and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in combustion and environmental samples. He has currently published 44 manuscripts in internationally peer-reviewed journals, 9 NIST special publications, and 2 book chapters. He has given over 100 presentations at multiple local, national, and international conferences. He was recently recognized in the 50th-anniversary issue of Chromatographia as a Rising Star in Chromatography.
