Nico Omenetto Wins 2016 Winter Conference Award in Plasma Spectrochemistry

Nico Omenetto, right, receives the Winter Conference Award in Plasma Spectrochemistry from Lothar Rottman of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the award's sponsor.

Nicoló Omenetto, a professor of chemistry at the University of Florida, received the 2016 Winter Conference Award in Plasma Spectrochemistry today at the Winter Conference in Tucson, Arizona.

The award, judged by an international selection committee and sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific, recognizes achievements in conceptualization and development of novel instrumentation as well as the elucidation of fundamental events or processes involved in plasma spectrochemistry. The award also acknowledges the authorship of significant research papers or books that have had an influential role in new advancements as well as outstanding applications that open new fields of use for plasma spectrochemistry.

Omenetto’s work in spectrochemistry began in 1964 with his doctoral work at the University of Padova, Italy, and continued at the European Community Joint Research Centre at Ispra before he moved to the University of Florida. Omenetto’s research interests are the theory and applications of atomic and molecular spectroscopic analysis methods with particular emphasis on use of tunable lasers and development of techniques including atomic and molecular fluorescence, atomic ionization, photo-thermal, photo-fragmentation, and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). He has also investigated fundamental diagnostic studies in atom reservoirs such as flames and plasmas, improving the characterization of the interaction between the laser and the atomic and molecular systems. The focus of his recent research is the development of LIBS as a quantitative analytical method. His applications have focused on environmentally important topics.

In addition to having his contributions recognized by the scientific community, Omenetto received a $5000 prize, a certificate, and trophy. The first award was presented during the 2010 Winter Conference. Previous awardees include Gary M. Hieftje (2014), J. Sabine Becker (2012), and Ramon M. Barnes (2010).