Marinda Li Wu (PhD, '76) has been named a 2023 Fellow of the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies. As a FACS Fellow, Wu will be honored in the Opening Ceremony of the Asian Chemical Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 9-14, 2023.
Dr. Wu has more than 45 years of experience in the chemical industry. She worked many years in research for Dow Chemical Research and Development, earning seven U.S. patents, and as a business leader for Dow Plastics. Subsequently, Dr. Wu held management roles at several smaller chemical companies. A strong advocate of STEM education, she founded "Science is Fun!" to interest young students in science and enhance public support for science education.
Dr. Wu has served in many leadership roles for the American Chemical Society including President (2013), Board of Directors (2006-2014), Councilor (1996-present), and Chair of CEPA, the Committee on Economic and Professional Affairs (2003-2005). Dr. Wu has also served on numerous other national ACS committees and ACS Board Committees. She has helped countless chemists as a certified ACS career consultant for almost 30 years. At her local ACS California Section, Dr. Wu was 2001 Centennial Chair, Chair of the Women Chemists Committee (WCC) four times, Chair for the Government Affairs Committee (GAC), Chair or member of over half a dozen other committees, and continues to serve on the CALACS Executive Committee.
Dr. Wu served on the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (2012-2015) and the International Advisory Board for 45th IUPAC World Chemistry Congress. She was named an honorary member of the Romanian and Polish Chemical Societies. She is a longtime member of the University of Illinois Chemistry Alumni Advisory Board and the Chinese American Chemical Society (CACS) Board of Directors (Chair, 2019-present). She also relaunched the CACS Northern California Chapter and serves as its President. She has authored over 70 journal articles, numerous Dow confidential research papers, and book chapters, co-edited three ACS Symposium Books, and has been a frequent invited speaker at international and domestic conferences.
Dr. Wu was elected ACS Fellow in 2015 and one of three 2023 Fellows for the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies. She has also been honored with the 2022 Shirley Radding ACS Award and named one of twelve 2023 IUPAC Distinguished Women in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. She received her Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and a B.S. cum laude with Distinction in Chemistry from The Ohio State University.