Michael Bowers, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCSB, has been named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in its inaugural class of 162 Fellows. He recently received the award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The organization has about 150,000 members worldwide, and is the world’s premier chemical society. Fellows were chosen based on excellence in science and on service contributions to the ACS or the field of chemistry as a whole.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected in the inaugural class as an ACS Fellow, certainly one of the premier honors an American chemist could receive,” Bowers said.

Bowers has published more than 380 papers in peer-reviewed journals. His articles have been cited more than 14,000 times — in publications across the chemical sciences, from chemical physics to the chemistry/biological interface.

For the past 20 years, he has served as an editor of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the top journal in chemistry. For the past 23 years, he has served as editor of the International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, the premier journal in mass spectrometry. He also has served on many important boards of the ACS.

Bowers’ research includes efforts to understand the molecular basis of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Diabetes Type II, and to develop therapeutic strategies for them.

“Mike Bowers’ career in chemistry is a model of dedication, determination and accomplishment,” said Alec Wodtke, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “His being recognized by the ACS in this way is indeed highly deserved, and long overdue.”