News

Steve Groskreutz (‘12) was recently promoted to Executive Director of Bioproduct Analytical Development at Eli Lilly and Company. Steve worked in the Stoll Lab during his undergraduate years and has since built a successful career in analytical chemistry and pharmaceutical development. 

A tribute to Professor Peter W. Carr was recently published in the Journal of Chromatography A. Professor Carr, who died on December 20, 2025 at the age of 81, was widely recognized for his influential work in chromatography and analytical chemistry. During his 47 years at the University of Minnesota, Professor Carr made numerous contributions to the field through his research, publications, mentorship, and service to the scientific community. The tribute article highlights Professor Carr’s lasting impact on chromatography, his dedication to students, and the many ways he helped shape the field. Read the full tribute here. 

Ella Sontowski, Tina Dahlseid, and Dr. Dwight Stoll recently published their work on surfactant isomer separations in the Journal of Chromatography A. The paper, titled Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography with non-aqueous hydrophilic interaction conditions enables resolution of isomers of EO/PO surfactants, describes the separation of non-ionic diblock copolymers using both one- and two-dimensional liquid chromatography (1D- and 2D-LC). The study highlights unexpected isomer selectivity for propylene oxide isomers and demonstrates the selectivity of non-aqueous HILIC conditions, enabling isomer separations in both 1D- and 2D-LC formats. This work was supported by a grant from Dow Chemical Company. The instrumentation and columns used for this project were provided by Agilent Technologies. 

Read the full paper here. 

Matt Sorenson, a 2016 Gustavus graduate and Stoll Lab alumnus, has been awarded the 2026 Chinese American Chromatography Association (CACA) Young Investigator Award. The award recognizes early-career researchers for excellence in chromatography research, innovation, impact, and service to the scientific community. 

Candidates are reviewed by an award committee composed of industry and academic chromatography experts.  Dr. Sorenson was presented with the award at the CACA Award Symposium on March 9, 2026, during Pittcon 2026 in San Antonio, TX.  

Click here to learn more about the CACA organization, Dr. Sorenson, and the other CACA Award recipients. 

Laney Hillman, a sophomore researcher in the Stoll Lab, presented her research at the 17th Annual Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop (MDCW), held in Williamsburg, VA this past January. This conference focuses on sharing new developments in the liquid and gas chromatography fields. Her poster described the relationship between column length and resolving power in separations of non-ionic surfactants using two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC). Following her presentation, Hillman was awarded the Best Multidimensional LC Poster Award at the conference. This award is sponsored by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Subdivision of Chromatography and Separation Chemistry. Her research was made possible through the support of the Gustavus Adolphus College FYRE Program, the Dow Chemical Company, Agilent Technologies, and the National Science Foundation. 

On January 15th, 2026, Ella Sontowski presented her work with Dr. Stoll at the 17th annual Multidimensional Chromatography Workshop (MDCW) in Williamsburg, VA, USA. This conference attracts 2D-LC and GC experts from around the world to discuss and share the latest advancements in the field of chromatography. Ella’s presentation, titled Unexpected Solvent Selectivity Effects Encountered in Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography Separations of Non-Ionic Copolymer Surfactants, highlighted the discovery of an unexpected mobile phase effect on isomer selectivity, as well as the resulting adjustments to first-dimension conditions that increased separation resolution. The findings Ella presented will be valuable for future studies in which the isomeric composition of materials is important. This research was supported by Agilent Technologies, the National Science Foundation, and Dow Chemical Company.