Will Wetzel is a Senior Editor for Spectroscopy magazine. He specializes in creating engaging, high-value content for diverse audiences. His role involves driving digital growth through KPI assessments, social media strategies, and innovative content development.
Wetzel is also a sports writer and commentator, serving as a freelance writer for several sports websites, including FanSided. He currently serves as the host, producer, and creator of “The Inside Fastball,” a LinkedIn newsletter that discusses topical issues in Major League Baseball (MLB). Outside of work, Wetzel volunteers with the Nashville Humane Association and Habitat for Humanity. His stated goal is to help build one house with Habitat for Humanity in every U.S. state.
In a recent interview, we sat down with Kelly Elkins, a Professor of Chemistry at Towson University and Jaden Force, a Graduate Research Assistant at Towson University, to talk about the state of forensics and how they apply spectroscopic techniques in their research.
Top articles published this week include several interviews from our ongoing coverage of the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference.
Tucson was a great host city for the 2026 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, but there are other cities that make sense to host future iterations of this conference. Here are our top five suggestions.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst demonstrated that X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy combined with chemometric modeling can provide a rapid, minimally destructive, and accurate alternative to traditional methods for routine arsenic quantification in rice and rice-based foods.
A new review article explores how integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with established analytical techniques such as spectroscopy, chromatography, mass spectrometry (MS), and sensors is significantly improving the efficiency, accuracy, and scope of food chemistry research and food quality assessment.
In this article, we look at the five major reasons why San Antonio is set to be a perfect host city for Pittcon this year.
A recent study shows that handheld near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with artificial neural networks can rapidly and non-destructively distinguish human from animal bones with high accuracy, offering a practical new tool for on-site forensic investigations.
A recent study demonstrated that combining laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) with machine learning (ML) can accurately identify gunshot residue from nontoxic ammunition and reliably distinguish shooters from non-shooters despite the absence of traditional elemental markers.
The 12th Nordic Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry and Ionization Principles in Mass Spectrometry will take place from June 14–18, 2026, in Loen, Norway. We preview the conference here.
Discover insights from Tom Spudich on forensic science advancements and challenges as AAFS 2026 approaches in New Orleans.
In Part III of our conversation with David Clases, we discuss how optical trapping better enables polymer identification via Raman spectroscopy, and where ICP-MS research is heading in the future.
In this interview previewing the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS 2026), Conference, Spectroscopy sat down with James Cizdziel of the University of Mississippi to discuss the state of forensic analysis.
In an exclusive interview with Spectroscopy, John Margeson, a Product Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific in the company’s Tewksbury headquarters, discusses the current state of handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrumentation.
Part II of our conversation with David Clases focused on his proof-of-concept analysis of microplastic and TiO₂ nanoparticles, and the new insights that emerged from simultaneously accessing size, molecular identity, and elemental composition at the single-particle level.
Drawing from Brian C. Smith’s “IR Spectral Interpretation” column, this Q&A article explores the unique characteristics, definitions, and spectral signatures of inorganic compounds.
Top articles published this week include several interviews from our ongoing coverage of the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry and an inside look at an upcoming Pittcon 2026 symposium about generative AI.
In this video segment, Sarah Theiner explains why using LA-ICP-TOF-MS was the ideal technique for this research compared to more conventional methods. She also touches upon how the findings from her study could inform the design of future chemotherapies and combination treatments.
In this interview clip, David Clasas of the University of Graz discusses the trapping mechanism of the OF2i and how it improves downstream Raman and ICP-TOFMS measurements and also highlights the multimodal approach his team used to improve microplastic analysis.
In the final part of our conversation with Ken Marcus, he discusses how external acquisition systems enhance isotopic precision and what spectroscopic trends experts should be paying attention to in 2026.
In this video segment, Alex Scheeline of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign discusses how hyphenated approaches are changing the nature of speciation analysis.
In this “Pathways in Spectroscopy” episode, Sarah Theiner discusses what her career transition from research to sales was like, and how her experience at the University of Vienna prepared her for the rigors of her new role at Nu Instruments.
Specac Ltd, a global provider of spectroscopy accessories and sample preparation solutions, has announced the acquisition of Amax Precision Ltd, a Singapore-headquartered company that specializes in high-precision analytical instrument manufacturing.
In this video segment, Sarah Theiner dives into the research that she conducted at the University of Vienna, which focused on how chemoresistance affects drug distribution in the tumor microenvironment.
In the final part of our conversation with Martin Resano, he discusses how the use of partial least squares (PLS) regression improves the quality of the isotopic analysis data.
In this interview clip, we turn the focus to the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in spectroscopy, and Alex Scheeline discusses how AI and ML will enhance SIBS and LIBS calibration.
In the below video segment, we shifted our focus to the future, with Anika Retzmann of the University of Calgary giving her thoughts about what emerging applications will benefit the most from high-precision metal isotope analysis of biological systems.
In the second part of our conversation with Ken Marcus, he discusses the parameters that are most influential in enhancing Nd isotope ratio measurements, and the implications of monitoring oxide species rather than atomic ions for isotope ratio analysis, and the benefits and challenges of this approach.
In the lead-up to the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference, we reflect on some of the most pertinent ongoing trends in forensic analysis.
Top articles published this week include an exclusive interview about using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to analyze chemical warfare agents.
In this video segment, Martin Resano of the University of Zaragoza talks about the challenges and advancements in obtaining isotopic information using atomic spectroscopy.
