Dr. James Serum received a B. A. in Chemistry from Hope College and was awarded a Ph.D. degree in Organic Chemistry in 1969 from the University of Colorado. His doctorate research was directed toward studies in Mass Spectrometry. He held academic positions at the University of Ghent, Belgium, Rice University (as a Welch Fellow) and Cornell University as Director of the National Institutes of Health High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Facility.

Dr. Serum joined the Hewlett-Packard Company in 1973 as Applications Chemist for Mass Spectrometry. Since then he has held a number of management positions, including Technical Support Manager for Mass Spectrometry in Europe (Paris, France); Marketing Manager for Mass Spectrometry and Spectroscopy at the Scientific Instruments Division; R&D Manager at the same division; and R&D Manager for the Avondale Division (Laboratory Automation and Chromatography Instrumentation). Since 1984 he has held business unit level positions as Operations Manager for Laboratory Automation Systems, Automated Chemical Systems Operation and Analytical Group Research & Development Manager. In 1992 Dr. Serum was named General Manager for Mass Spectrometry, Infrared, and Protein Chemical Systems and in 1994 he founded HP's Bioscience Products business before returning to the east coast as a Senior Scientist and Chair of HP Pharmaceutical Business Council. 

 In 1999, Dr. Serum retired from Hewlett Packard to co-found Viaken Systems Inc. in Gaithersburg, MD where he held the position of Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.  He left Viaken in 2002 to launch SciTek Ventures, a science and technology consulting firm.  Dr. Serum is a past or present member of the Board of Directors of Biotechnology Research & Development Corporation, Nanostream Inc., Genstruct Inc., engeneOS Inc. and Cerionx Inc.  In addition, he serves on numerous boards and committees related to science education and technology development.  Dr. Serum was elected as a lifetime  National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences in 2002 and to the Visiting Committee of The National Institute of Standards and Technology (VCAT) in 2004.

Other Professional Activities include:

•  Member of American Chemical Society

•  Member of National Academy of Sciences task force on the Future of Analytical Chemistry in the U.S.(1986)

•  Member of National Science Foundation task force to Review Policy for Science Education in the U. S. (1987)

•  Invited speaker at numerous educational meetings and conferences on Science Education

•  Past member of Hewlett-Packard Education Relations Board

•  Review Panel for Hewlett-Packard Grants Program for Analytical Chemistry (1989-1992)

•  Member of Science & Technology Board, College of Letters and Science,  James Madison University (1988-1993)

•  Member of Board of Directors, Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation (1988-1994) 

• Member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) technology assessment panel (1990-1992)

•  Counselor (alt), Analytical Chemistry Division, American Chemical Society (1992- 1995)

•  Member of the Board, Center for Photochemical Sciences, Bowling Green State University (1994-Present)

•  Member of ACS subcommittee for improvement of chemistry curriculum (1994-1995

•  Member of National Research Council, Committee on Undergraduate Science Education (1996-2001)

•  Member of National Research Council, Committee on A National Digital Library (1997)

•  Member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Review Board (1997-present)

•  Chairperson, NRC Review committee on National Math Standards (1999)

•  Vice Chairman of Board of Assessment for NIST Chemical Sciences and Technology Laboratory (’97-‘01)

•  Chairman of Board of Assessment for CSTL of National Institute of  Standards and Technology (’01-‘03)

•  Member National Research Council Committee on Undergraduate Science Education (01-02 )

• National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (elected 2002)

• Member of Advisory Board, Barnett Institute, Northeastern University (2003-2007)

• Member of the Visiting Committee for Advanced Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology (2004-present)  elected Vice Chair 2006