Widener

Name:

Billy Acon

Class of :

1998

Major:

Chemistry

Hometown:

Caracas, Venezuela

Biography:

                Billy W. Acon was born in 1976 in San Bernardino, California. He grew up and graduated from Escuela Campo Alegre, an American high school in Caracas, Venezuela in 1994. He received his B.S. in Chemistry and minor in Mathematics from Widener University (Chester, PA) in 1998. As an undergraduate, Billy was the recipient of the Cyrus Tang Scholarship, the American Chemical Society Award, and the Widener University Science Award.

In 1998, Billy began his Ph.D. studies at the George Washington University (Washington, DC). His research focused on development of aerosol diagnostics and micro sample introduction for analytical discharges and on theoretical computation of hydrogen lines profiles for the calculation of electron number densities in high-temperature plasmas. In June 2000, Billy represented the U.S. delegation at roundtable discussions at the 50^th Anniversary Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Germany. He also received the Chateaubriand Fellowship for research conducted at the Observatory of Paris during the 2003 academic year.

Billy received his Ph.D. in 2004 and subsequently completed a post-doctoral appointment at the FBI Research Unit. His research focused on analysis of explosives and metabolites of drugs of abuse, for which he received the first-ever Dwight E. Adams Forensic Science Research Award, in honor of the retiring FBI Laboratory Director. He currently works for US Customs and Border Protection at the National Targeting Center, conducting expert-level analysis and threat assessments of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) materials originating from CBP countermeasure programs; serving as technical advisor providing 24/7 around-the-clock support.

Why did you choose Widener?

Academic scholarship

What have you done since leaving Widener?

How did Widener help you to achieve your goals?

Small school, more attention to students, central location in Philadelphia region and eastern seaboard

What was your favorite experience at Widener?

What advice would you give to a prospective Widener student?

What advice would you give a current Widener student?

Keep at it, make the best out of it but be sure to enjoy it.  Take advantage of any opportunity that comes around.

What was your favorite classroom project?

Anything in Instrumental Analysis, of course.