In recognition of his many years of volunteer service to CASSS, Robert Stevenson, Ph.D., Editor of American Laboratory, was named a Fellow of the Society and recognized by the Board of Directors at a reception in Berkeley, CA.
Dr. Stevenson’s affiliation with CASSS dates back nearly to the organization’s beginnings as the Bay Area Chromatography Colloquium (BACC) in 1979 when he attended the first meeting to hear Prof. John Knox of the University of Edinburgh speak. Over the next decade, Dr. Stevenson continued to participate in BACC’s colloquia, and in 1989 he organized one on Cell Separation. Shortly thereafter, he was asked to join the Board of Directors and became Treasurer. BACC changed its name to the California Separation Science Society in 1990, and later to the acronym CASSS.
In the ensuing years, while Dr. Stevenson’s career as a consultant and journalist grew and took more of his time, he never lost his passion and commitment for CASSS. He continued as Treasurer—and to many, the “backbone” of CASSS—until this year. During this time, he oversaw the organization’s growth from a local association of a few hundred people to an international society of over 4,000 members. His financial stewardship has helped place the organization on solid ground, while his passion and commitment to nurturing novel and interesting science has been an integral part of leading the organization to its place today as a leading provider of scientific symposia in the field of biopharmaceutical development and regulation.
In nominating Dr. Stevenson to become a Fellow of CASSS, Board President Frantisek Svec said, “It is just a tiny token of appreciation that we could do to let you know how much we value your contribution to the current excellent state of CASSS.”
CASSS has become a global, nonprofit professional society that exists to bring industry, regulatory, and academic professionals together to resolve scientific challenges, primarily in the field of biotechnology and pharmaceutical development and regulation. The society does this by organizing high-quality scientific conferences that bring together industry, academic, and regulatory thought leaders in an interactive format to discuss relevant and timely challenges.
Stephanie Flores, CAE, is Executive Director, CASSS—An International Separation Science Society, 5900 Hollis St., Ste. R3, Emeryville, CA 94608, U.S.A.; e-mail: [email protected]