The meeting will take place on Thursday, January 14 from 12:00–1:00 pm EST, hosted by guest speakers John Wasylyk and Debbie Peru.

The Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) and the SAS Atomic Technical Section is currently seeking nominations for the 2021 SAS Atomic Spectroscopy Student Award.

Spectroscopy magazine is seeking nominations for the Emerging Leader in Atomic Spectroscopy Award.

The New York Microscopical Society 2020 Ernst Abbe Award was presented to Brian J. Ford on November 17.

This article provides a convenient summary of portable and handheld spectroscopy techniques, outlining the most prominent types of compact instruments for both atomic and molecular spectroscopy.

Test firing a firearm is frequently used for forensic firearms and bullet identification. Airborne lead-containing particles are emitted when a firearm is tested, leading to lead building up on surfaces, exposing employees to potential lead-related health risks. Prior to cleaning, lead surface concentrations in the firing range at the National Forensic Laboratory Services in Ottawa were found to be higher than the Environmental Abatement Council of Ontario (EACO) post-abatement limit, with the highest level 56 times the limit. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), along with internal standardization, revealed that wiping surfaces with either a commercial decontamination product containing ethylene glycol butyl ether (EGBE) or alcohol cleaning pads satisfied the EACO standard by removing over 90% of lead from test surfaces whereas an external cleaning company only removed 36% of lead from the same surfaces. Fortunately, lead cross-contamination was minimal outside the firearms section and well below the residential EACO limit.

Spectroscopy interviewed Tuan Vo-Dinh of Duke University, discussing his work in spectroscopy and photonics.

Spectroscopy interviewed Yukihiro Ozaki about his work in the field of Raman spectroscopy.

The Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) Award for Outstanding Achievements in Mass Spectrometry will be presented to Barbara Larsen.

The New York Society for Applied Spectroscopy Gold Medal Award will be presented to Jerome Workman, Jr. and Howard Mark at the Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) on Wednesday, November 18.

The Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) Award for Outstanding Achievements in Magnetic Resonance will be presented to Arthur G. Palmer III on Monday, November 16.

The Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) Award for Outstanding Achievements in Vibrational Spectroscopy will be presented to John A. Reffner on Tuesday, November 17.

Recent collaborative research demonstrates the use of Kerr-gated Raman spectroscopy to study catalysts and catalytic reactions for investigating renewable energy sources.

Spectroscopy Magazine is pleased to announce the addition of seven new members to its editorial advisory board.

Once again, the Eastern Analytical Symposium takes the spotlight November 16–19, providing analysts with the latest developments in areas ranging from biopharmaceutical analysis to materials characterization, from quality assessment to green analysis, and from environmental contaminant determination to antibody analysis, to name a few of the many areas covered.

Lydia Neguse of The California Academy of Mathematics and Science School was selected as the winner of the Most Outstanding Female in Chemistry or Chemical Analysis award at the Fair

Raman imaging manufacturer WITec (Ulm, Germany) is expanding its headquarters building.

Raman imaging manufacturer WITec (Ulm, Germany) is expanding its headquarters building.

Spectroscopy and LCGC North America are proud to announce that Lydia Neguse of The California Academy of Mathematics and Science School in Carson, California, has been named the winner of the 2020 Most Outstanding Female in Chemistry or Chemical Analysis award at the Los Angeles County Science & Engineering Fair.

The New York and New Jersey Regional Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (NYSAS) held an on-line meeting on Wednesday, May 27. The speaker, Nicole Ralbovsky, was selected as the 2020 NY–NJ SAS Graduate Student Award winner. Ralbovsky is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Igor K. Lednev’s laboratory at the University at Albany, SUNY.

A preview of this year’s ASMS conference, in its new on-line format.

The New York and New Jersey Society of Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) has postponed its live meetings until the country gets back to a normal work schedule. In the interim, an online meeting schedule has been developed as a way to maintain the connection.

Jelle Hendrix, an assistant professor at the Biomedical Research Insititute of Hasselt University in Belgium, has received the 2020 Young Fluorescence Investigator Award.

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (Santa Clara, California) recently became a sponsor of My Green Lab, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the sustainability of scientific research.

Spartan Bioscience (Ottowa, Canada) recently obtained Health Canada approval for use of the Spartan Cube, reportedly the world’s smallest DNA analyzer, for COVID-19 testing.