Radenka Maric facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Radenka Marić
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Marić in 2023
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| 17th President of the University of Connecticut | |
| Assumed office February 1, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Andrew Agwunobi |
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| Born | 1966/1967 (age 58–59) Derventa, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina) |
| Education | University of Belgrade (BS) Kyoto University (MS, PhD) |
Radenka Marić is an American engineer and a leader in education. She became the 17th president of the University of Connecticut (UConn) on September 28, 2022. This means she is in charge of the whole university! She was the first person from inside UConn to become president since 1990. She is also the second woman to ever lead the university. Before becoming president, she was in charge of research and new ideas at UConn.
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Early Life and Education
Radenka Marić was born and grew up in Derventa, a town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At that time, it was part of a country called Yugoslavia.
She studied at the University of Belgrade in Serbia, where she earned her first degree in science. Later, she went to Kyoto University in Japan. There, she earned her Master's and PhD degrees. Her studies focused on materials science and energy. Radenka Marić is Jewish.
Before moving to Japan, she worked as a researcher. This was at the Serbian Academy of Science and Art from 1989 to 1991.
Her Journey in Science and Education
After living in Japan for 12 years, Radenka Marić moved to the United States in 2001. She started working at a company in Atlanta that focused on clean energy.
Three years later, she became a leader at the Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation. This institute is part of the National Research Council Canada.
Joining UConn and Research
In 2010, she joined UConn as a professor. She taught chemical and biomolecular engineering. In 2016, she received a special award called the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award. This award allowed her to be a visiting professor in Italy.
While in Italy, she researched High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). These are a type of clean energy technology.
Radenka Marić is a very respected professor at UConn. She holds a special title: Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Professor of Sustainable Energy. She teaches in two departments: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering.
Throughout her career, she has received over $40 million for her research. She has also written more than 300 articles for science journals. She even has six patents for her inventions!
Leading Research and Innovation
In July 2017, Marić became the vice president for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at UConn. In this important role, she managed all the research happening at UConn. This included the main campus and UConn Health.
She also oversaw special programs like the Technology Incubation Program. This program helps new companies grow their ideas. She also managed the Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech Park.
On February 1, 2022, she was chosen to be the interim president of UConn. This means she was the temporary leader. She took over from Andrew Agwunobi. Later, she became the permanent president.
In 2019, she was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This is a big honor for scientists. She is also a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. She is the main author of a book about fuel cells. The book is called Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: From Fundamental Principles to Complete Systems.
President of the University of Connecticut
As President of the University of Connecticut, Radenka Marić is in charge of a very large budget. This budget helps support seven different UConn campuses. It also supports a medical center and hospital.
UConn has over 30,000 students! President Marić also oversees many research projects. She also leads big building projects and fundraising efforts for the university.
A Focus on Clean Energy
President Marić and the UConn Board of Trustees have made a big promise. They want UConn to become carbon neutral by 2030. This means the university will not add more carbon to the atmosphere than it removes. They also aim to be carbon zero by 2040.
In October 2023, UConn hosted a national event. It was called the Sustainable Clean Energy Summit. A former White House climate advisor, Gina McCarthy, gave a key speech there.
President Marić uses her science background in clean energy. She helps UConn switch to clean and renewable energy sources.
