Glen Jackson, Ming Hsieh Distinguished Professor of Forensic & Investigative Science in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University, has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Jackson, who joined the RSC as an undergraduate student in 1995, credits his graduate experience at WVU giving him the knowledge, experience and contacts he needed to be able to build a career in chemistry.
“The institutional support and my colleagues here at WVU have provided a very enriching environment to pursue research in chemistry and forensic chemistry,” said Jackson. “The research culture at WVU has helped make me the scientist I am today.”
The Royal Society of Chemistry, founded in 1841, is the United Kingdom’s professional body for chemical scientists and the largest organization in Europe for advancing the chemical sciences. The society partners with industry and academia; promotes collaboration and innovation; advises governments on policy; and promotes the talent, information and ideas that lead to great advances in science. The designation FRSC is given to a group of elected Fellows who have made outstanding contributions to chemistry.
“Being elected to fellow possibly means more to me than most fellows, said Jackson. “I was among the first generation of my family to go to college, so I have long felt like an imposter in higher education. However, the longer I am able to succeed in higher education, and the more I am able to contribute to the advancement of science and the mentorship of future scientists, the more I feel at home.”
Jackson’s research includes mass spectrometry instrumentation development and forensic and biological applications of mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Previous forensic-related research has included drug analyses, ignitable liquid residue analyses, explosives analyses, synthetic cannabinoid analyses and forensic applications of laser ablation electrospray ionization. His research group recently received a $450,000 National Science Foundation grant.
“Dr. Jackson’s selection as a fellow of the Royal Society is one of the greatest honors that a researcher can receive,” said Suzanne Bell, chair of the Department of Forensic and Investigative Sciences. “It attests to his reputation as an internationally recognized scientist and scholar. We are pleased for him and very proud of him.”
Jackson earned a B.S. (Hons) degree in Chemical and Analytical Science from the University of Wales Swansea (UK), an M.S. degree in Analytical Chemistry from Ohio University, and a Ph.D. in Analytical chemistry from West Virginia University. He spent four years as a researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory before joining the chemistry faculty at Ohio University in 2004. He was the Director of the FEPAC-accredited Forensic Chemistry Program at Ohio University from 2009-12, where he received an NSF CAREER Award, a distinguished public speaking award and a transformative faculty award before his return to WVU in 2012.