Richard K. Vitek, a 1958 chemistry graduate, began his career as a research chemist producing uranium from ore, before moving on to work as a scientist, director and startup CEO. His accomplishments include working with the U.S. Coast Guard to develop UV imaging instruments that analyze oil spills to identify the tankers responsible and develop a method of testing arsenic levels in wine that led the Environmental Protection Agency to impose stricter limits on pesticide use in U.S. vineyards.
Share This Story
Spark a Memory?
Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).
NIH’s first woman scientist
Dr. Ida Bengtson was the first woman the National Institutes of Health (NIH) hired as a scientist in 1916. For…
Erin Hayden and Matthew Garger
Although Erin Hayden and Matthew Garger were both students at S&T for an overlapping year, they didn’t meet until the…
Courtney (Greene) and Jeff Willey
Courtney (Greene) and Jeff Willey met in August 2005 after he returned to Rolla to pursue his graduate degree while…
James Kreilich and Mary Jane Naeger
James Kreilich and Mary Jane Naeger went to school together at Valle High School in 1960, but it wasn’t until…
Supporting female faculty at S&T
When she established the Woman of the Year award at Missouri S&T, Cindy Tang, a 1985 economics graduate, wanted to…
Matthew Harris and Grace Lupo
During a biostatistics lab in the fall of 2017, Matthew Harris saw Grace Lupo sitting by herself and invited her…