Two UC Riverside students have received prestigious awards from the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, or ASMS, one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to advancing mass spectrometry research.
Doctoral student Michael Strobel was selected for a 2026 ASMS Graduate Student Award, while undergraduate student Rithi Krishnaraj was one of only 10 recipients selected internationally for the 2026 ASMS Undergraduate Student Award. Both students are conducting research under the guidance of Mingxun Wang, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. The honors were announced at the society’s annual conference, which draws more than 6,500 scientists and features more than 3,000 scientific presentations from around the world.
“These awards recognize the outstanding contributions Michael and Rithi are making to the field,” Wang said. “Their achievements reflect the creativity, dedication, and scientific excellence that drive research in our lab.”
Wang’s research spans bioinformatics, computational mass spectrometry, and analytical chemistry. His laboratory develops computational tools that help scientists interpret the enormous amounts of data produced by modern mass spectrometers.
Mass spectrometry is a powerful analytical technique used to identify and characterize molecules in biological, environmental, and chemical samples by producing chemical fingerprints that can be matched to known compounds. It plays a critical role in fields ranging from medicine and public health to agriculture and environmental science.
Founded in 1969, ASMS promotes the advancement and dissemination of knowledge related to mass spectrometry and related disciplines. The organization includes more than 8,500 members from academic, industrial, and government laboratories. In addition to its annual conference, ASMS sponsors scientific workshops, educational programs, and publishes the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry.