OSU Professor Awarded 2005 Oklahoma Chemist Award
Friday, April 22, 2005
The American Chemical Society has honored Oklahoma State University scientist Neil
Purdie with the 2005 Oklahoma Chemist Award.
Purdie, professor and chairman of OSU's Chemistry Department, was recognized by the
Oklahoma Sections of ACS for his contributions to Oklahoma as a groundbreaking scientist.
ACS is the most prestigious chemistry organization in the nation. It honored Purdie
for his long, distinguished career and for his extensive body of research. Out of
the last 59 granted, Purdie is the ninth OSU professor to be honored with the award. In
2000, he was the recipient of the Oklahoma Scientist of the Year award.With each recognition
from my students and peers, I relish the feeling that I have led, and will lead others
by my own example," Purdie said.Starting out as a physical chemist, Purdie's research
has spanned from inorganic to analytical chemistry. His current project aims to solve
one of the most important problems in medicine which is to find a reliable way to
measure blood lipids, or fats, in a single test. Purdie said a reliable method will
allow doctors to better detect the early signs of heart disease and other lipid-cholesterol
related diseases.
Known for his concise and humorous lectures, Purdie's career is marked with teaching
awards including the Regents Distinguished Teaching Award in 1995, the Mortar Board
Outstanding Teacher at OSU in 1991, and the Amoco Foundation Outstanding Teacher in
1980. In 1990 he was the first OSU professor to receive the Oklahoma Foundation Medal
of Excellence in Higher Education.
"Dr. Purdie has been recognized as an outstanding teacher, and I appreciate his nearly
40 years of service as a faculty member in the OSU Chemistry Department," said Peter
Sherwood, dean of the OSU College of Arts and Sciences.
A native of Castle Douglas, Scotland, Purdie earned his Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow and has been a faculty member at OSU since 1965.