NICHOLAS PINGITORE

PINGITORE--Professor Nicholas Elias, passed away on October 24, 2022. Dr. Pingitore was born and raised in NYC, and was a resident of El Paso, Texas, and a Professor of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso for 45 years. He had been on the faculty of Brooklyn College for 5 years prior to arriving in El Paso. He was born on July 21, 1944 in New York City, and attended St. Regis Academy, Columbia University, and Brown University. He was a geoscientist and analytic geochemist with some 50 years of research interest and experience in such areas as environmental and economic geology, sedimentary geology, remote sensing and geographic information systems, materials science, environmental health and archeology. He was Director of the Geosciences Electron Microprobe Laboratory. He was a founding partner and science editor of Scientific American Discovering Archaeology until 2002. He was on the Board of Directors of Texas Mineral Resources Corp., where he distinguished himself through his scientific leadership. During his career he was awarded over $17 million in research grants, and published 136 manuscripts. He conducted important particle work at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source in Palo Alto, CA for many years. He was frequently consulted locally, nationally and internationally for his wide-ranging expertise in all things science. He peer-reviewed dozens of manuscripts for journals, and directed many PhD and masters students. He served on the faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, and had served as adjunct professor in the College of Nursing and the College of Health Sciences. Dr. Pingitore received the 2008 UTEP Distinguished Professor in Research Award, and the 2007 and 2008 UT System STAR awards. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, American Geophysical Union, Materials Research Society, Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, and the Society of Sigma XI. He is survived by his beloved partner and research collaborator, Dr. Maria Alvarez Amaya. He is also survived by his sister Diane Elliott (Henry), nephew Hank Elliott, niece Amy Elliott, and numerous friends and colleagues.