Adrienne Minerick Honored by AES Electrophoresis Society

A Michigan Tech professor and associate dean has been honored with a prestigious award from a national society. Adrienne Minerick, professor of chemical engineering, adjunct professor of biomedical engineering and associate dean for research and innovation of the College of Engineering, has received the Distinguished Service Award of the AES Electrophoresis Society. She was presented with the honor at the society’s annual meeting this fall in Salt Lake City.

The Distinguished Service Award honors individuals who have had significant long-term involvement with AES and made considerable efforts toward its success and growth. The award recognizes individuals who have served with excellence through consistent dedication in many different capacities and have contributed to the continuing success of AES Electrophoresis Society.

In making the presentation, the governing board of the society cited Minerick “for a decade of consistent and active passion in service to the society, and her significant impact on both the quality and numbers of our current membership.” Minerick joined AES as a graduate student in 2001, became an AES officer in 2004 and over the years has served as councilor, webmaster, vice president and eventually president from 2010 to 2013.

According to a society press release, under Minerick’s leadership, the AES Electrophoresis Society expanded to sustained programming at two partner societies and select special programming with an additional two organizations. Membership and contributions grew by 65 percent and 140 percent, respectively.   As a result of the growth, the society’s council was expanded and financial solvency was improved.

Minerick's research  is at the intersection of electrokinetics and microfluidic devices. One of her primary areas of expertise, dielectrophoresis. grew as a focus area within the society during her tenure.

At the meeting in Salt Lake City, Minerick said she was “honored to be recognized by the society with this prestigious recognition since the AES Electrophoresis Society played such an integral role in my professional growth from graduate student to my current position.” The annual meeting marked the end of her term as past-president.

Outgoing AES Electrophoresis Society President Mark Hayes said Minerick’s contributions to the society go beyond her considerable scientific and engineering accomplishments. “Professor Minerick has been a tireless leader in our community," Hayes said. “She has supported opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities. We have been lucky enough to have her infectious attitude contribute to AES in many roles over many years.”

The AES Electrophoresis Society, formerly the American Electrophoresis Society or AES, was founded in 1980 to improve and promote technologies for electrophoretic separation and detection.

The mission of the society is to promote excellence across diverse disciplines; facilitate communication between members worldwide; facilitate the training of scientists and students in electrokinetic technologies; and facilitate peers training peers across the globe. This mission is supported by hosting forums and conferences, recognizing the top talent in electrokinetics and supporting the development of the next generation of researchers and educators.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.