University of Utah chemical engineering professor Marc D. Porter, who has been with the U for 13 years, has been named a Distinguished Professor of chemical engineering. He will be recognized during the U’s online commencement ceremony on Thursday, April 30.
The title of Distinguished Professor is a rare and prestigious honor granted by the University of Utah to faculty who meet the highest standards of scholarship, international stature, and dedication to teaching and service.
“This is truly humbling recognition,” Porter said. ”It reflects the tireless efforts and high level of creativity of the many colleagues I have had the good fortune to have worked with over the years.”
Porter received his bachelor’s in chemistry and a master’s in physical chemistry from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a doctorate in analytical chemistry from The Ohio State University.
He was a chemistry professor at Iowa State University where he also was director of the Microanalytical Instrumentation Center and the Institute for Combinatorial Science. From 1997 to 2004, he co-founded the companies Advanced Analytical Technologies, Inc., CombiSep, Inc., Concurrent Analytical, and he recently co-launched Porter Medical Technologies. In 2006, he became chemistry and biochemistry professor at Arizona State University where he also served as director of both the Center for Combinatorial Sciences at the Biodesign Institute.
Porter arrived at the University of Utah in 2007 as a USTAR professor of chemistry and chemical engineering. He also has an appointment as an adjunct professor of bioengineering and pathology. He is currently the director of the Nano Institute of Utah and the Utah Center for NanoBioSensors within the institute.
Recently, Porter was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), the professional association based in the United Kingdom dedicated to the advancement of the chemical sciences. Before that, he was also named a fellow to the Council of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society.