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).

Hall of fame astronaut

Hall of fame astronaut

Janet Kavandi, former deputy director at NASA’s Glenn Research Center and a NASA astronaut, has logged more than 33 days…

George Mueller: ensuring the ‘moonshot’

George Mueller: ensuring the ‘moonshot’

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things,” President John F. Kennedy said…

Laying a foundation

Laying a foundation

The Hasselmann Alumni House wouldn’t exist without the involvement of  Matt Coco, a 1966  civil engineering graduate – even the…

Major league research

Major league research

Three S&T faculty helped strike down claims that “juiced” baseballs were the cause of a spike in Major League home…

Stonehenge, ‘tis a magic place…’

Stonehenge, ‘tis a magic place…’

When the band Spinal Tap sang of Stonehenge as a “magic place … where the moon doth rise with a…

Arden Hawley and Alex Richter

Arden Hawley and Alex Richter

Arden Hawley met Alex Richter in August 2015 after her roommate joined KMNR, where he was a DJ. “She introduced…