Isiah Manuel Warner (born July 20, 1946) is the Boyd and Phillip W. West Professor of Surface and Analytical Chemistry and the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

. He’s also a professor at the

Howard Hughes Medical Institute The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is an American non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded in 1953 by Howard Hughes, an American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot, engineer, fil ...

. Warner has won numerous national and international awards for chemistry and mentoring of students in the sciences. He has published over 350 refereed publications and has several patents.

Biography

Isiah Warner was born in

Bunkie, Louisiana Bunkie is a city in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,171 at the 2010 census. History Bunkie was founded as a station terminus on the Texas and Pacific Railroad line. It was named for the daughter (whose nickname w ...

in 1946. He is a graduate of

Southern University Southern University and A&M College (Southern University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is the largest historically black college or university (HBCU) in Louisiana, a ...

where he received his BS degree in chemistry. Warner received his doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

in 1977. Following a post-doctoral research experience, Warner started his academic career at

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

where he was the first African American Chemistry faculty, and where received tenure and promotion to associate professor. Following receipt of tenure and promotion, Warner moved his research laboratory to

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

and was promoted to full professor in 1986. In 1992, Warner returned to Louisiana and serves as the Phillip W. West Professor of Surface and Analytical Chemistry at Louisiana State University. He retired as Professor Emeritus in December 2021, with his most recent role being the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at LSU and serves as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. Warner received an honorary doctorate from

Marquette University Marquette University () is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Henni, John Martin ...

. He has been recognized for his chemical research and mentoring. Warner was named a fellow of the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all d ...

in 2009. He is a recipient of the NOBCChE Percy L. Julian Award.

Research and Mentoring

Warner is an analytical/materials Chemist, with research focuses on fluorescence spectroscopy, organized media, and ionic liquid chemistry, particularly as applied to solid phase materials. He is known for his mentoring of Chemistry students, and focus on the advancement of women and chemists of color. He has won numerous awards for his mentoring including. He has graduated 67 PhD students from his group, including a significant number of women and minorities, helping to make Louisiana State University the leader in producing women and African American PhD students.

Personal life

Warner was born in 1946 in DeQuincy, Louisiana to Humphrey and Erma Warner. His interest in science started young, when he conducted his first experiment by drinking kerosene to see why it created light. He and his wife, Della Blount Warner, have three children: Isiah Jr., Edward and Chideha.

Honours, decorations, awards and distinctions

Source: * 1997: Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring * 1988:

Percy L. Julian Award The Percy L. Julian Award was first given in 1975 by the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE). The award is given every one to two years. It honors black scientists who have mad ...

* 2000: LSU Distinguished Faculty Award * 2000: CASE Louisiana Teacher of the Year Award * 2004: University of Washington, College of Arts & Sciences, Distinguished Alumnus Award * 2005:

Tuskegee University Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was d ...

George Washington Carver Achievement Award * 2005: Charles E. Coates Award – ACS local section * 2005: Marquette University, honorary Doctor of Science degree * 2007: Association of Analytical Chemists (Anachem) Award * 2008: ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Spectrochemical Analysis * 2009: American Chemical Society Fellow – Inaugural Class * 2010:

Society for Applied Spectroscopy The Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS) is an organization promoting research and education in the fields of spectroscopy, optics, and analytical chemistry. Founded in 1958, it is currently headquartered in Frederick, MD. In 2006 it had about 2 ...

(SAS) Fellow * 2013: American Chemical Society Award in Analytical Chemistry * 2014: Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in Chemical Sciences (ACS), November 19, 2013 * 2014: American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Professional Relations Henry Hill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Professionalism * 2014: Oesper Award * 2015: Iddles Lectureship * 2016:

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

Member * 2016: SEC Professor of the Year *2018: Nature Award for Mentoring in Science.

Selected bibliography

* * * * * * *

References

External links

Google Scholar References

Research Group Website

History Makers Interview

LSU Office of Strategic Initiatives Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Isiah Living people 20th-century American chemists 21st-century American chemists African-American chemists Southern University alumni University of Washington alumni Louisiana State University faculty 1946 births 20th-century African-American scientists 21st-century African-American scientists