UniSysCat warmly congratulates Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya on her membership of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. As the Director of the Interface Science Department at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society she was admitted to Leopoldina in recognition of her scientific excellence and leadership strength.
Roldán Cuenya has been Director of the Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max-Planck-Society in Berlin since 2017, making her the first woman to hold this position in the institute's history. Her department investigates the structural, electronic, vibrational and chemical properties of nanostructures and their interfaces with gas and liquid environments. Their work includes the synthesis of nano-structured materials with tunable surface properties, the characterization of structure-activity relationships using operando and in-situ methods and electrocatalysis for the clean storage and conversion of energy.
The German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, founded in 1652, is the oldest academy of natural sciences in Germany and worldwide. Since 2008, it has been Germany's National Academy of Sciences under the patronage of the Federal President. Thus, the Leopoldina's tasks include providing science-based advice to the public and politicians. A membership of the Leopoldina is considered a great honour for a scientist since the Academy represents the pinnacle of the scientific community.
The election of Prof. Dr. Roldán Cuenya underlines the importance of her work and the role she will play in future social and scientific discourse. As only around 15% of members in all scientific disciplines are currently female, Roldán Cuenya will also serve as a role model for young female researchers.