John Helms, assistant professor of chemistry at Morningside College, recently was elected to full membership in Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.

John Helms, assistant professor of chemistry at Morningside College, recently was elected to full membership in Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.

Sigma Xi has a distinguished history of serving science and society for over 125 years. The society publishes the journal American Scientist, and more than 200 Nobel Prize winners have been members.

To be eligible for full membership, an individual has to show noteworthy achievement as an original investigator in a field of pure or applied science. Helms conducts research in the areas of environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, and aquatic science.

“This is a notable accomplishment,” said Anthony Kern, associate professor and chair of the biology and chemistry department at Morningside College. “John’s record of publication and research is extensive and clearly supported his successful nomination.’’

Helms joined the Morningside College faculty in 2014 after completing a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He has a doctorate in chemistry from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.