The Jim Waters Society Inductees Reflect Inventive Achievement

Formed in 2017, The Jim Waters Society (JWS) recognizes scientists and engineers at Waters for the highest level of achievement and contributions in the spirit of the company’s namesake founder Jim Waters. While on the forefront of emerging trends and issues, members of the JWS explore strategically important projects and key scientific challenges for Waters, its customers and collaborators.  Their contributions, performance and approach to innovation are instrumental in advancing the work we do across the company.   

Among a wider group of individuals and teams who were recognized for their significant achievements in their respective domains, a diverse group of new JWS members were honored at this year’s Innovations Awards session. 

 Ying Qing Yu and I managed the 2021 nomination process with the assistance of the other JWS members. We visited staff meetings in Research, Informatics, and Engineering to encourage nominations and aligned our efforts with the Innovation Award nomination process. This year, we welcomed and approved four new members.  

We spotlight the four inductees below and highlight the story behind their valuable achievements in their own words. 

Q. How do you describe your role at Waters, where are you based and how long have you been there?

Julia Balog “I’m based at Waters Research Center in Budapest, Hungary. My official job title is principal consultant research scientist, and my title within Waters Research Center is head of lab operations. I lead the research in Waters Research Center making sure that our projects are progressing.” 

Richard Chapman “I’ve been with Waters for 24 years. I am the chief software engineer with Informatics in Milford, MA USA . I direct the activities of the chief software engineers for our software, data management and workflow solution platforms such as Empower, Waters Connect and NuGenesis. My team and I facilitate the transfer and integration of new technologies and research artefacts into the commercial products, including generating intellectual property.” 

Donald (Rusty) Russell: “As a senior principal development engineer with TA Instruments, my main responsibilities revolve around improving existing products and developing new ideas for instruments that allow customers to solve problems with greater ease and speed. I have a responsibility to help group members develop their potential to be great engineers and to deepen their understanding of calorimetry and how to apply it. This is my 14th year based in Lindon, UT USA.”  

 Lisa Calton:  “I am director of clinical & forensics in scientific operations,  in our Wilmslow, United Kingdom  location and have been with Waters for 21 years. I manage a team of scientists who develop Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) based medical devices develop LC-MS based medical devices and methods to identify and quantify substances in biological fluids for clinical and forensic laboratories.” 

Q: How does the work you do help Waters leave the world better than we found it?   

Julia: ”I came from a startup, where I thought that everything was possible. I have convinced surgeons, investors, scientists, that the iKnife technology was working and can save lives by capturing detailed molecular information from a range of sample types in a matter of seconds.”

Richard: ”Our work supports faster delivery and creation of our software products. Throughout my time at Waters, we have refined and modernized the engineering practices behind the way our software and instruments are built. These specialized processes have helped with the introduction of innovative technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), our machine-learning and cloud services that directly supports our customers in pharmaceutical, food and beverage, environmental, and chemical materials industries.”

Rusty: ”Innovation in our group has always been a two-pronged approach, focusing on improvements to existing products as well as developing new products that do not currently exist. In turn, new drugs are brought to the market faster, we have improved safety for explosives storage and handling, and we’ve developed more efficient batteries.”

Lisa: ”I am lucky in my role at Waters, as the work that I and my team do has a direct impact on improving healthcare around the world.  We are part of a large team that develop medical devices which clinical biochemistry labs use to help diagnose diseases in newborns, or make sure the right immunosuppressant drug level in an organ transplant patient is maintained to prevent organ rejection.  My team also established Waters’ in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) product development process used for the creation of the reagent kits, which is now integral to the Waters Product Development Process. ”

Q: What has been your greatest accomplishment at Waters so far?  

Julia: ”One of the things I am proud of is creating a mass spectrometry data analysis workflow and accompanying software. The algorithms within the software were used for the iKnife , for the DESI swab reader for rapid COVID-19 testing and for so many other applications around the world by Waters and its customers.” 

Richard: ”A lot of my work is leading a team of people to deliver change. My teams have introduced new software technologies and agile practices that have helped to drive web-based instrument control and operating software for mass spectrometry products such as, for example, cyclic IMS and MRT.” 

Rusty: ”It is very satisfying to see ideas from initial concept to product launch turned into reality, particularly a reality that helps people solve problems and that benefits society.”  

Lisa: ”Working on a team with excellent scientists across Waters, universities and hospitals to create a solution to detect SARS-CoV-2 from swab samples using LC-MS in a short period of time during the pandemic. It was truly inspirational.”  

Q: How do you approach problem solving?  

Julia: 

“Nothing is impossible, so no matter how crazy the problem is, I believe we can solve it. Depending on the topic, I usually reach out to experts and listen to their advice, then from all the information I gathered, I decide which route to take and then just do it. ”

Richard: ”I’m an experimentalist and action-orientated. I would always prefer to do something rather than debate and over analyze (which has gotten me into hot water on occasion). I think that it is better to experiment and make a decision (and if needs be, fail fast) than to procrastinate. ”  

Rusty: “Problems can often seem overwhelming or unsolvable when viewed as a whole. I find it much easier to break them apart into smaller pieces and focus on solutions to each part. While some of these smaller parts may be relatively easy to solve, there are often parts that are difficult and that initially I cannot see a solution to. If you cannot find a way around a problem, you need to move on to others.” 

Lisa: ”Gather as many facts as you can, assess the information and do not be afraid to make a decision. Start at one end and work through it systemically.  But also remember, if you have a gut feeling – go with it! ”

On behalf of all our JWS members, we extend an esteemed welcome to these remarkable new inductees and colleagues.  As encapsulated during the Innovation Summit, this year is a time of transition. With the Waters transformation underway and the creation of the Innovation Board, there is an opportunity to redefine the role of JWS within our innovation system, so expect to hear more from us soon.  

Learn more about the Society’s history, achievements, and full list of members on The Jim Waters Society page.