The Electrochemical Society Awards 2021 ECS Colin Garfield Fink Fellowship to Ali Othman

Pennington, NJ – Ali Othman, PhD, Research Associate in Clarkson University’s Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Science, received The Electrochemical Society’s prestigious 2021 ECS Colin Garfield Fink Fellowship. The fellowship provides financial assistance for Othman’s research in the months of June through August. His work focuses nanomaterials and the interface chemistry of materials and their bio(sensing) and environmental applications.

“I am truly grateful for the ECS Colin Garfield Fink Fellowship, donors, and committee of the award,” said Dr. Othman. “This fellowship highlights me and allows me to be recognized in the scientific community as well as to focus on my goal and additional educational opportunities. Thanks to your support, I am one step closer to my goal. I will do my best to keep up the great work.”

The ECS Colin Garfield Fink Fellowship supports Dr. Othman research on wearable biosensors, introducing stimuli responsive (smart/intelligent) functional nanomaterials with exploring the use of artificial enzymes. Understanding the physicochemical characteristics is crucial to multiple applications because many catalytic, thermal, mechanical, electrochemical, and spectroscopic properties depend on the nano(material) structure and surface/electrode functionalization that is significant in determining the structure-function systems. Othman’s research findings will be particularly relevant to bioanalytical studying proteins with the integration of advanced nanomaterials to interface between protein/enzyme structure and function, enabling large-scale fabrication and field operational devices.

Dr. Othman completed his PhD in Chemistry at Clarkson University in May 2019 with Professor Silvana Andreescu as advisor. He then assisted with research in the Laboratory of Bioelectronics & Bionanotechnology at Clarkson with Advisors Prof. Evgeny Katz and Associate Prof. Artem Melman. Othman joined Clarkson’s Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Science as Research Associate in February 2021. Othman received the Shipley Graduate Fellowship at Clarkson (2019); American Chemical Society Division of Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award (2018); and ECS Travel Grant (2017). The Clarkson Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science awarded Othman a Research and Teaching Assistant Scholarship (2018) and Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (2017). He was Team Leader of the second place winning project of the 2017 New York State Pollution Prevention Institute R&D Student Competition; and won first place of the top four finalist projects in the Global Impact Challenge Singularity University’s Global Solution Program. Othman served as Guest Editor for a special 2021 issue of Chemosensors. His H-index is 12. Othman has published 19 articles and two book chapters, and holds three patents.

Candidates for the $5,000 ECS Colin Garfield Fink Fellowship must be postdoctoral scientists or engineers and members in good standing of The Electrochemical Society. At the end of the award period, the recipient is required to submit a brief resume or abstract suitable for publication in The Electrochemical Society Interface concerning the work performed during the fellowship.

Colin Garfield Fink, the scientist, educator, and executive secretary-editor for whom the fellowship is named, served as ECS President in 1917-1918. Some of his best-know research projects led to ductile tungsten for incandescent lamp filaments; an insoluble anode for electrowinning copper; an electrolytic process for the faithful restoration of corroded ancient bronzes; the development of hot dipped aluminum coatings; the electrodeposition of metals; and in particular, a commercial process for chromium plating. He was the author of over 200 papers and held many patents.

January 15, 2022, is the deadline for 2022 ECS Colin Garfield Fink Fellowship applications. 

The Electrochemical Society
ECS, a prestigious nonprofit professional society, has led the world in electrochemistry, solid state science and technology, and allied subjects since 1902. By publishing research, hosting meetings, fostering education, and collaborating with other organizations, ECS advances scientific theory and practice. Our 8,000+ member community in 85+ countries develops innovative solutions to major global challenges. The ECS Digital Library, hosted on IOPscience, encompasses 160,000+ journal and magazine articles and meeting abstracts, and the Journal of The Electrochemical Society, the oldest peer-reviewed journal in its field. Scientists, engineers, and industry leaders share relevant scientific developments, network, and expand research horizons at ECS biannual, co-hosted, and sponsored meetings. Learn more about the history of ECS at www.electrochem.org/history-ecs.