Emīlija Gudriniece

Organic chemist Emīlija Gudriniece (1920-2004) was one of the first scientists to recognize the potential to produce fuel from vegetable oils.

Gudriniece was born and raised in Latvia, where she studied chemistry at the University of Latvia. After becoming a professor at Riga Polytechnic, she founded a Department of Organic Synthesis and Biotechnology there and served as department head for 27 years. A prolific scientist with broad interests, she synthesized useful compounds including the antibiotic furanicide and antioxidants for makeup. While much of her work benefitted the cosmetics industry, she was by no means a “girly girl” and her refusal to be confined by gender stereotypes likely helped inspire her work on biofuel; an avid motorcyclist, she won the Latvian Women’s Motorcycling Championship two times.

Gudriniece felt close ties to her homeland and, where she saw gaps in Latvia’s opportunities for scientists, she worked to fill them; she organized numerous scientific meetings and conferences in Latvia, revived the Latvian Chemical Society, and organized national and international scientific congresses of Latvian scientists. Known and admired for her enthusiasm and energy, Gudriniece loved working with students and guided over two dozen to successful completion of a degree. She died in 2004 in Latvia, the country she loved, a country whose scientific community and resources she worked tirelessly to strengthen.
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