Agilent Technologies/ALMA Honor Geoffrey Kamau with 2012 Distinguished Service Award for Laboratory Management

University of Nairobi Professor Driving Laboratory Reform Efforts in Africa

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: A) announced that Dr. Geoffrey Kamau, professor of chemistry at the University of Nairobi was honored with the Association of Laboratory Managers’ (ALMA) 2012 Distinguished Service Award for Laboratory Management. Professor Kamau, Kenyan native, author, and longtime educator/advocate for laboratory reform accepted his award at the association’s annual conference earlier this month in San Antonio, Texas. Agilent Technologies is the corporate sponsor of the award and an industry leader in innovating laboratory practices worldwide.

 “Dr. Kamau has spent more than a decade working with partners and colleagues to educate scientists and raise the standards of practice in private and national laboratories throughout Africa,” said Agilent Technologies World-wide Industry Manager Wayne Collins. “We admire his dedication to this important initiative and congratulate him for his many achievements in this area. We will continue to support his efforts to drive further laboratory reforms in Africa and bring the countries into compliance with internationally-accepted laboratory guidelines.”  

A few initiatives now in progress to improve laboratory operations include advanced education for chemists and microbiologists, proficiency testing, and upgrading instruments and laboratory facilities, to name a few.

A few reasons why Dr. Kamau and others like him are focusing squarely on improving laboratory practices in African nations are to help secure their future economic stability and improve the quality of life within their borders through increased trade and exportation of domestic goods. In order to accomplish this, they must implement globally-standardized screening protocols to ensure the quality and safety of their raw materials and guarantee that they are free of contaminants, pesticides, and other dangerous toxins and substances.

“We are very pleased to honor Professor Kamau with our Distinguished Service Award for Laboratory Management for his outstanding leadership in establishing and running the East and Southern Africa Laboratory Managers Association for ten years” said Tom Lyttle, Awards Chairman for ALMA.  “He has seen the fruits of his work as a growing number of labs in the region now meet international quality standards and are able to certify products for export into the world markets”.   

            ALMA’s Distinguished Service Award is granted annually to a manager who has advanced the practice of lab management or has exhibited exceptional managerial skills in his/her job. Agilent is a longtime ALMA affiliate and has sponsored the award for 10 years.

About ALMA

ALMA (www.labmanagers.org) is a non-profit association of laboratory managers that provides a forum for improving laboratory management skills worldwide through conferences and workshops and by providing a network to interact with managers with similar problems to find solutions and ideas that have worked in their laboratories.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, diagnostics, electronics and communications. The company’s 20,000 employees serve customers in more than 100 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $6.6 billion in fiscal 2011. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com.

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