James A. Holcombe

PhD, Scientific Advisor & UT Chemistry Professor

Professor Holcombe received his Bachelor’s Degree from Colorado College and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Since that time, he has been a member of the faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Texas at Austin except for 1984-85 when he served as Program Director for Chemical Analysis at the National Science Foundation. He has served as the Department Chairman as well as President of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy and Program Chair and organizer of the 1991 joint meeting of the national FACSS meeting and the regional Northern California ACS meeting. He is on the editorial board for a number of journals, has served on organizing and advisory committees for a number of national and international analytical chemistry meetings, and is the past Editor-in-Chief of Applied Spectroscopy.

Professor Holcombe is an analytical chemist and has published extensively in the area of trace metal analysis and preconcentration techniques for trace metals. He has expertise in atomic spectroscopy, ultratrace analysis, metal chelation (preconcentration) and computer simulation of analytical systems. He has also published in the area of FRET detection using immobilized peptides; Monte Carlo simulations and the use of algae for trace metal remediation. He has authored or co-authored over 150 publications in refereed journals, contributed several chapters to books on various aspects of atomic spectroscopy and analytical chemistry and has presented invited talks across the globe. He plays racquetball for exercise, sails catamarans for fun, and plays golf for frustration.