For release: April 19 , 2007

Contacts: 
R.S. Houk, Chemical and Biological Sciences, (515) 294-3887
Kerry Gibson, Public Affairs, 515-294-1405

AMES LABORATORY'S HOUK NAMED SOCIETY
FOR APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY FELLOW

AMES, IA -- U.S. Dept. of Energy Ames Laboratory senior chemist Robert S. “Sam” Houk was recently named a Fellow of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. Houk, who is also a professor of chemistry at Iowa State University, was selected in recognition for “service to the Society and exceptional contributions to spectroscopy.”

Houk was born in New Castle, Penn. and received his B.S. degree in Secondary Education from Slippery Rock State College in 1974.  He received the Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Iowa State University in 1980, where he worked with Velmer A. Fassel and Harry J. Svec.  He has been on the faculty at Iowa State University since 1981 and has a concurrent appointment at the Ames Laboratory.  His long term interests are in inorganic analysis by mass spectrometry, particularly inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), electrospray MS, and the combination of these methods with chromatographic and electrophoretic separations for measuring elemental speciation.  He built the first ICP-MS device and has won the following awards:  ACS Award in Chemical Instrumentation (1993) and the Lester W. Strock Award (Society for Applied Spectroscopy, 1986), Hasler Award (Society for Analytical Chemistry of Pittsburgh & Fisons, 1993), Wilkinson Teaching Award (Iowa State, 1993), the Research Excellence Award from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Iowa State, 2000), the Anachem Award (ACS Detroit Section, 2000), and the Margaret White Graduate Faculty Award (Iowa State, 2007).

Houk has published 149 papers and has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry and Spectrochimica Acta Part B, the two major journals in atomic spectroscopy.  Houk has also recently been studying electrospray ionization MS for analysis and characterization of biomolecules, including ion mobility, ion traps, and time-of-flight MS.   

Ames Laboratory, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2007, is operated for the Department of Energy by Iowa State University. The Lab conducts research into various areas of national concern, including energy resources, high-speed computer design, environmental cleanup and restoration, and the synthesis and study of new materials.

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