NIU Department of
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Where the study of matter...matters!
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry established the Distinguished Alumni Award to recognize alumni who have made exceptional accomplishments and significant contributions in one or more areas of academia, industry, and research. This inaugural group of eight awards was considered "career" awards and all recipients had to have graduated from NIU at least 25 years ago. Congratulations to the following alumni.
Norman J. DovichiFollowing his graduation from NIU, Professor Dovichi obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Utah. After a post-doctoral fellowship at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, he accepted an assistant professorship at the University of Wyoming in 1982. He moved to the University of Alberta in 1986, and then onto his current position, Endowed Professor of Analytical Chemistry, at the University of Washington in 2001. He is most widely recognized today for his work in high-throughput electrophoresis and fluorescence spectrometry as applied to human genome sequencing.
William C. HoyleFollowing his graduation from NIU, Hoyle obtained his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Iowa State University. He has more than 30 years of experience in the packaging industry. He joined Continental Can Company/Crown as a chemist and regulatory affairs advisor. He worked his way through the ranks to become the vice president of materials & packaging technology for more than 10 years. Currently he is an industry consultant in the areas of regulatory affairs, material selection, project selection, and project management.
Howard C. Jordi After receiving his Ph.D., Jordi served over three years as a captain in the US Army at Walter Reed Army Institute of Dental Research, worked as a chemicals applications manager for Waters Associates and as a senior chemist for LC Laboratories. In 1980, Jordi launched his own company, Jordi Associates Inc. He has spent 29 years developing polymeric resins and HPLC columns, has several patents and publications to his name, and is still actively doing research at Jordi Labs. Today he is responsible for the research and development of the entire Jordi HPLC product line.
James W. JorgensonFollowing his graduation from NIU, Professor Jorgenson obtained his Ph.D. from Indiana University. He joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina as an assistant professor in 1979. He was promoted to associate professor in 1985, professor in 1987, appointed the Francis P. Venable Professor of Chemistry in 1994, and the William Rand Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemistry in 1999. He served as the chemistry department chair from 2000 to 2005. He is one of the originators of capillary electrophoresis, with his first publications on the topic appearing in 1981.
Susan M. MiniAfter receiving her bachelor’s in chemistry, Dean Mini earned an M.S. in physics and a Ph.D. in molecular science from Southern Illinois University. In 1994, she returned to NIU as an assistant professor in the Department of Physics, became associate professor in 2000, then full professor in 2004, and served as department chair from 2003-2008. She continues to publish regularly and has garnered well over $1,000,000 in federally funded grants. Today she serves as associate dean of research and graduate affairs for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Michael J. Sepaniak Following his graduation from NIU, Professor Sepaniak obtained his Ph.D. from Iowa State University. He accepted an assistant professorship at the University of Tennessee in 1981. He rose through the ranks to full professor, served as department chair from 1996-2003, and was named Ziegler Professor of Chemistry in 1998. He has published more than 165 manuscripts, directed more than 60 doctoral students and 20 postdoctoral associates, and in the last five or six years alone, has garnered more than $1,500,000 in extramural funding.
Anne Barrett SwansonFollowing her graduation from NIU, Swanson obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has since served as a cancer researcher, professor and department chair at Edgewood College, Wis., program director for the National Science Foundation, and associate academic dean at the College of St. Catherine, Minn. In 1992 she became professor and dean of the School of Natural Sciences at Sonoma State University, Calif. Upon retirement in 2000, she was named dean emeritus by the university president. She continues to serve as a consultant for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Mary J. WirthFollowing her graduation from NIU, Professor Wirth obtained her Ph.D. from Purdue University. She immediately took an assistant professorship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She then worked at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory before joining the faculty at the University of Delaware in 1986. She rose to the rank of C. Eugene Bennett Professor of Chemistry before moving on to the University of Arizona in 2004. Today she is the W. Brooks Fortune Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University and is the founder and CEO of bioVidria, Inc.