Chris Enke Wins the Outstanding Achievements in the Fields of Analytical Chemistry Award

Professor Chris Enke won the Outstanding Achievements in the Fields of Analytical Chemistry Award at The Eastern Analytical Symposium and Exposition (EAS) this year. The award honours analytical chemists who have distinguished career achievements and advanced their fields of study with superior work by developing theory, technique or instrumentation.

Figure 1: Awardee Chris Enke (middle) with Anne Francois Aubry (left) and Oscar Liu (right).

Enke, the 2016 winner, is known for his work in electroanalytical chemistry, conductance, including the invention of the bipolar pulse conductance method which is now used universally, computer-based instrumentation, array detector spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. His work in mass spectrometry included the discovery of low-energy ion fragmentation and co-invention of the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, interpretation of MS/MS spectra, and the equilibrium partition theory of electrospray ionization. 

Receiving his BA degree from Principia College in 1955 and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1959, he worked towards an Assistant Professor position at Princeton University before moving to Michigan State University eventually obtaining the title of Professor Emeritus. In 1994 he moved to the University of New Mexico where he resided as Professor Emeritus until 2006. During this time sixty-nine students received their Ph.D.’s under his direction. He has published over 140 papers working with a number of academics, as well as 18 book chapters, and obtained 13 patents. In total his works have been cited over 3000 times. 

Currently immersed in the study of epistemology, his most recent accomplishments include the invention of distance-of-flight mass spectrometry and the discovery that the distribution of component concentrations in complex mixtures is likely to be lognormal.

Enke has also held numerous positions at academic societies serving as chair of the Analytical Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS), President of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, and Chair of the Computers in Chemistry Division of ACS. His awards include the ACS awards for Scientific Instrumentation (1974), Computers in Chemistry (1989), Analytical Chemistry (2011); and the ASMS award for Distinguished Contribution to Mass Spectrometry (1993). The Analytical Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society has also awarded him the J. Calvin Giddings Award for Excellence in Education (2003) and The Distinguished Service Award (2014).