RICHARDSON, Texas (Sept. 7, 2004) – Dr. Inga Holl Musselman, associate professor of chemistry at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), last month became president of the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS), a national organization of scientists, researchers and other users of high-powered microscopy.
Musselman assumed the group’s top leadership position at the annual MAS scientific meeting, “Microscopy and Microanalysis 2004,” held in Savannah, Ga., after having served as president-elect of the society for the past year. She will preside over next year’s annual meeting, to be held in late July and early August in Honolulu.
Dr. Inga Holl Musselman
MAS’ membership is composed of professionals who work with or have an interest in microbeam instrumentation, which utilizes electron, ion, photon and other types of beams to determine the structure and chemical composition of materials. The society provides a forum for members from industrial and academic settings who are engaged in research, development, analysis and instrument manufacturing to exchange ideas and practical experience.
Musselman has been active in MAS for the past dozen years, serving in a variety of capacities including secretary of the society, editor of the organization’s newsletter, director of the executive council, national tour speaker, symposia chair and technical program co-chair. One year ago, she received the Presidential Service Award, given annually to a society member who has provided outstanding service to MAS.
Musselman’s research at UTD involves surface and microbeam analysis and scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy. In addition, she teaches courses in analytical chemistry and general chemistry.
In mid-August, Musselman and several of her UTD colleagues received a three-year, $200,000 grant from the United States Department of Energy (DOE) under a program to advance the study of new clean and efficient fossil energy technologies and concepts. The UTD project will develop and test various novel membranes for separating carbon dioxide and hydrogen from a number of processes and waste gas streams.
Applications of the group’s research could include the cleanup of waste gas streams from refineries, purification of natural gas produced from gas wells and preparation of clean gas feed for hydrogen fuel cells. Other UTD faculty members involved in the project are Dr. John P. Ferraris and Dr. Kenneth J. Balkus, Jr. Ferraris is interim dean of UTD’s School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Musselman earned a Ph.D. degree in analytical chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. degree in chemistry from Gettysburg College.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 14,000 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s web site at www.utdallas.edu.