The UO’s Marina Guenza has been selected as a fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, joining 416 other newly elected members recognized for their efforts to advance science applications.

A professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and a member of the Institute of Theoretical Science, Guenza’s research in theoretical physical chemistry is focused on the structure and dynamics of complex fluids. Her work involves the development of theoretical and computational approaches to predict the properties of complex, large molecular systems.

Her research is at the interface of biophysics, material science and computer science. She is also affiliated with the Institute of Molecular Biology and the Materials Science Institute. Guenza was cited by the association for her distinguished contributions to the field of theoretical and computational chemistry.

“Through her groundbreaking research, which crosses multiple disciplines, professor Guenza continues to make a major impact,” said David Conover, vice president for research and innovation. “We congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.”

Guenza’s induction brings the university’s total number of current or retired faculty members listed as association fellows to 44. Election as a fellow is an honor bestowed upon association members by their peers. The association announced its selections Nov. 27 and published the names in the Nov. 29 issue of the journal Science.

In 2011, Guenza was named as a fellow by the American Physical Society for her contributions to polymer physics. From 2010 to 2013 she was a member of the editorial board of Macromolecules. She is the 2015 recipient of a UO Fund for Faculty Excellence Award and the 2015 Incubating Interdisciplinary Initiatives Award. In 2015 she was elected a member at large by the American Chemical Society.

Born in Italy, Guenza earned the Italian equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, and a doctoral degree from the University of Genoa, Italy, in 1985 and 1989, respectively. Starting in 1989 she served as a tenured researcher at the Italian National Council of Research.

In 1994 she was a visiting scientist at the University of Chicago, and from 1995 to1997 she was a visiting scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She joined the University of Oregon as an assistant professor in 2002.