Linda McGown, professor and chair of chemistry and chemical biology, has been appointed the William Weightman Walker Chair of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rensselaer. Established in 1905, the Walker Chair is one of the two oldest named professorships at Rensselaer.

Photo by Rensselaer/Kris Qua

William Weightman Walker, Rensselaer Class of 1886, is the namesake for the Walker Chair of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, the Walker Professor of Polymer Engineering currently held by Sanford Sternstein ’61, and the Walker Laboratory, which houses the undergraduate instructional laboratories of the chemistry and chemical biology department at Rensselaer.

“Dr. McGown is an internationally renowned scientist who has pioneered ground-breaking research in several areas of importance in analytical chemistry,” said Samuel Wait Jr., acting dean of the School of Science at Rensselaer. “Her appointment to the Walker Chair is richly deserved and has our enthusiastic support.”

McGown has written more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in areas related to analytical chemistry including dynamic fluorescence spectroscopy, molecular aggregation phenomena, DNA sequencing, bioseparations, and affinity techniques. Her current projects are focused on DNA arrays for protein capture and analysis, affinity MALDI-mass spectrometry, analytical applications of aptamers, and new gel media for applications in bioencapsulation and separations of biomolecules and nanoparticles.

A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science since 2001, McGown has served on the editorial boards of several publications and journals including Chemical and Engineering News, Analytical Chemistry, and Applied Spectroscopy. She received the New York Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy Gold Medal Award in 1994. She is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association of University Women, the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, and Sigma Xi and is an affiliate of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

Prior to joining Rensselaer in 2004, McGown served as professor at Duke University and past director of graduate studies for the university’s chemistry department. She also served as tenured professor at Oklahoma State University and as assistant professor at California State University, Long Beach. McGown earned a bachelor’s in chemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Washington.

Published July 17, 2006