Garcia joined HIMS in 2020 as an assistant professor on a tenure-track grant from the program on ElectroChemical Conversion and Materials (ECCM) of the Dutch Research Council NWO. Her research has considerably strengthened the HIMS research in electro-organic synthesis and electrocatalysis, contributing to the Research Priority Area Sustainable Chemistry as well as the Amsterdam Centre for Electrochemistry (Amcel). Among her many projects, Garcia represents HIMS in the HyPRO consortium, the largest R&D project into green hydrogen in the Netherlands to date.

“This promotion to Associate Professor is an important milestone for me, and at the same time a meaningful recognition of the work I have built over the past years. Over the last five years, I have been fortunate to work with an exceptionally motivated team of Master’s students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers. Together, we have made important contributions to electrochemistry, particularly at the interface of sustainable chemistry, electrocatalysis, and molecular science.”

Pushing the boundaries of electrochemistry

“As a woman in science, progress often requires extra persistence and resilience, which makes this recognition especially significant. I am grateful that HIMS acknowledges not only scientific output, but also the long-term effort of building a research team, mentoring young scientists, and shaping an inclusive academic environment.”

“Looking ahead, I remain strongly motivated to continue pushing the boundaries of electrochemistry. My vision is to help establish Amsterdam as a leading hub for electrochemical science and sustainable technologies, while inspiring and training the next generation of electrochemists to tackle pressing societal and industrial challenges.”

Amanda Garcia studied chemistry at Maringá University in Brazil and obtained her PhD in 2011 with Prof. Edson Ticianelli from São Paulo University on fundamental electrochemistry. From 2012 to 2017 she was a postdoctoral fellow funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) in the group of Prof. Germano Tremiliosi at São Paulo University, developing the field of electrochemical biomass conversion. During this period, she also spent three months as a guest postdoc at the University of Poitiers and two years at Leiden University in the group of Prof. Marc Koper, working also in collaboration with UvA-HIMS as a postdoctoral fellow of the Holland Research School of Molecular Chemistry. In 2017, she joined the European Union A-Leaf project at Leiden University for one year, after which she joined TNO, working on power-to-chemicals in collaboration with several industrial partners. In 2020, she joined UvA-HIMS on a tenure-track grant from the program on ElectroChemical Conversion and Materials (ECCM) of the Dutch Research Council NWO.

See also

• HIMS researchers contribute to ‘HyCARB’ project developing sustainable carbon-based chemistry

• UvA researchers participate in largest Dutch research project on green hydrogen production

• Research group Heterogeneous Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry

• Amsterdam Centre for Electrochemistry