May 1, 2019
Excellence in teaching and research earns chemistry professor Segebrecht award
Takashi Ito, professor of chemistry, is this year's recipient of the Ervin W. Segebrecht Honorarium Award. He will receive a $2,000 honorarium. Ito received his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and doctorate in chemistry from the University of Tokyo.
The Ervin W. Segebrecht Honorarium award was established in honor of Ervin W. Segebrecht, a 1938 graduate of Kansas State University, to recognize professors who provide inspiration and excellence in teaching. Eligibility for the award is restricted to professors in the departments of chemistry and chemical engineering, and candidates are judged on the basis of excellence in classroom instruction and research and published manuscripts in technical publications.
Research in the Ito laboratory is in the interdisciplinary field of nanoscience, with an emphasis on the development of new separation and sensing techniques based on nanostructured materials for chemical and biological targets of medical and environmental interests.
"Dr. Ito's research employs single molecule and single-particle fluorescence detection and tracking methods to explore the mechanisms of mass transport in one-dimensional nanomaterials," said Daniel Higgins, professor and head of the chemistry department. "He also seeks to develop new nanoporous materials for use in chemical sensing, employing pore modification methods developed in his labs to enhance the selectivity of electrochemical sensing devices."
Ito has published nearly 85 peer-reviewed manuscripts throughout his career, with 55 of these coming from his time at K-State since 2004. He has delivered a large number of invited lectures at national and international meetings and at universities around the world. His research at K-State has been well funded through extramural awards, including a long-running grant from Basic Energy Sciences at the Department of Energy, and more recently from a collaborative grant funded by the National Science Foundation with researchers at Indiana University. Together, these grants have provided approximately $2.5 million in funding to Ito's program.
"It is a great honor to receive this award," Ito said. "I really enjoy teaching and mentoring a variety of students through scholarly activities. I would like to continue helping students become well-rounded, professional scientists and teachers."