Dr. Petr Vozka, a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Cal State LA, has received the 2026 Young Investigator in Separation Science Award from the Division of Analytical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society.
The award recognizes outstanding early-career scientists who have made significant contributions to the advancement of separation science through innovative research, instrumentation development, novel methodologies, theoretical contributions, or other significant achievements in chemical separations and analytical chemistry.
Vozka is an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Cal State LA, where he directs the Complex Chemical Composition Analysis Laboratory (C3AL). His research group develops and applies advanced separation and detection strategies, especially comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, to analyze highly complex mixtures that challenge conventional methods.
His work has applications in areas including alternative and sustainable fuels, microplastics and related environmental matrices, and forensic analyses.
The award is open to young chemists and chemical engineers from academia, industry, and national laboratories who earned their highest degree within 10 years of January 1 of the award year.
The award will be presented at the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon). The honor includes a commemorative plaque and a $2,500 award.