Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos facts for kids

Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos (born in 1950, died October 28, 2019) was an amazing American chemical engineer. She was a top professor at Tufts University, where she taught about energy and sustainability. She also worked on preventing pollution. Maria wrote over 160 scientific papers, which means her ideas were very important to many other scientists. She was a respected member of several big science groups, like the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She lived near Boston with her husband, Gregory Stephanopoulos, who was also a professor.

Becoming a Chemical Engineer

Maria Flytzani was born and grew up in Greece. She loved science and decided to study chemical engineering. In 1973, she earned her first degree in chemical engineering from a university in Athens.

She then moved to the United States to continue her studies. In 1975, she earned her master's degree from the University of Florida. She then went to the University of Minnesota for her Ph.D., which she finished in 1978. Her Ph.D. work focused on how different materials react with each other, especially in something called "catalysis." Catalysis is a process that speeds up chemical reactions.

What is Catalysis?

Imagine you want to make a cake. A catalyst is like a special ingredient that helps the other ingredients mix and bake faster, but it doesn't get used up itself. In chemistry, catalysts help chemical reactions happen more quickly and efficiently. Maria studied how catalysts work, especially with very small particles.

Awards and Special Honors

Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos received many awards for her important work. These awards recognized her research, her teaching, and her service to the scientific community. Many of them highlighted her passion for catalysis and her work with tiny particles called nanoparticles.

In 2008, she was chosen as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). This is a very respected science organization.

Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos of Tufts University's School of Engineering has been selected as an AAAS Fellow for distinguished contributions to the field of catalysis, particularly for new insights in oxidation reactions on nanoscale metal oxides in fuel conversion and pollutant processes.

In 2014, she became a member of the American National Academy of Engineering (NAE). This is a very high honor for engineers. Her election showed how important her work was.

For contributions to atomically dispersed heterogeneous metal catalysts for efficient production of fuels and chemicals.

Maria also received other important awards, including:

• Tufts Distinguished Scholar Award
• Henry J. Albert Award
• Giuseppe Parravano Memorial Award
• Carol Tyler Award
• Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Award from Tufts School of Engineering
• Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers