Chemistry professor Garcia elected Fellow to distinguished Royal Society of Chemistry

CLEMSON – Carlos D. Garcia, a professor of analytical chemistry in the College of Science’s department of chemistry, has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry – one of the highest recognitions for a chemist.

The title recognizes Members of the Royal Society of Chemistry who have been in a senior position for five or more years and have demonstrated a significant impact to the advancement of chemistry, both as a field of knowledge and profession.

Garcia – who has authored 123 publications in scholarly journals, made numerous conference presentations and maintains research collaborations across the globe – has spent his career dedicated to the development of simple, fast, inexpensive, and efficient analytical strategies. His current research group is focused on the design of paper-based microfluidic devices as well as elucidating the driving forces and consequences of the interaction between macromolecules and nanomaterials. In collaboration with two groups in Argentina, they also recently received funding to design microdevices that mimic human senses.

Garcia’s research has received support from the highest government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Agency for Space and Aeronautics (NASA) and the Office of Naval Research.

“I feel privileged for the opportunity to spend my day discussing experiments, mentoring students, and learning new things,” Garcia said.

In his career, Garcia has graduated seven students from masters and doctoral programs. He currently advises the research of six graduate and undergraduate students in the department of chemistry. His lab has also hosted eight international research scholars in the past three years.

Garcia received his B.S. in biochemistry in 1996 and Ph.D. in chemistry in 2001 – both from the National University of Cordoba (Argentina) – before beginning his postdoctoral fellowships at Mississippi State University and Colorado State University. In 2004, he joined the faculty at the University of Texas-San Antonio as an assistant professor of analytical chemistry. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2010 and to professor in 2014 before joining Clemson University in 2015.

As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Garcia has the opportunity to mentor other RSC chemists as they navigate their careers and research interests. He can also continue his contribution to the chemical sciences by serving on advisory committees for divisions, local sections and interest groups of the RSC, including his current role as an associate editor for the journal RSC Advances.

“This is a great honor to be named Fellow of the Society that published my first independent paper, back in 2006,” Garcia said. “I am thankful to the RSC not only for the honor to join a select group of scientists, but also because this recognition highlights the incredible support received from my research group, my family, and Clemson.”

Robert Anholt, Director of Faculty Excellence in the College of Science and Provost Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Biochemistry, praised Garcia for his award.

“Election to the Royal Society of Chemistry is a well-deserved honor for Dr. Garcia and recognizes the world-class excellence of the Science faculty at Clemson University,” Anholt said.

Bill Pennington, department chair of chemistry and a colleague of Garcia’s, commended Garcia’s influence on the department since his appointment three years ago.

“Professor Garcia’s positive impact on our department was immediate and has grown over time,” Pennington said. “Last year, he took on the role of associate department chair and has made major contributions in graduate recruiting, inclusivity, and in generally improving both the facilities and culture of our department. This recognition as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry is reserved for the best of the best, and Dr. Garcia measures up in every way.”

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