Vanja Martinac

Vanja Martinac, Ph. D., was born on January 28, 1959 in Split, Croatia. After completing her secondary education at the grammar school in Blato (island Korčula), she studied at the Faculty of Chemical Technology at the University of Split, from which she graduated in 1982. Five years later, under the supervision of Professor Nedjeljka Petric, she received her Master of Science degree and in 1994 she was awarded a Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering, with the thesis «A Study of Isothermal Sintering of Magnesium Oxide», at the same University. Since June 1984, Vanja Martinac, Ph. D., has been employed by the Faculty of Chemical Technology in Split, in the Department of Thermodynamics. In 1987 she become an Assistant (Scientific Assistant). After she earned her Doctoral Degree she was made an Assistant Professor in 1996. In 2001 she was promoted to Associate Professor, 2006 to Full Professor and 2011 to Full Professor in retirement. Presently, Vanja Martinac, Ph.D., teaches the courses: Thermodynamics, Thermodynamics and thermotechnique, Thermodynamics of Real Processes, Seawater as sources of mineral raw materials and Subnmarine Mineral Raw Materials at the undergraduate and Chemical and Engineering Thermodynamics and Magnesium oxide from seawater at the graduate level. From 1984 to 2002 she participated as a project assistants-researcher and scientific novice in early research and development work in the scientific projects: «Obtaining various salts frm seawater» and «Activated sintering of magnesium oxide». Since 2002, Vanja Martinac, Ph.D., has become the senior researcher for the last Project. The main topic of the research by V. Martinac, Ph.D., encompasses the processes of isothermal and activated sinterng of magnesium oxide obtained from seawater, especially by substoichiometric precipitation. Seawater has been examined, i. e. the possibilities for obtaining magnesium oxide by means of various method, with thermodynamical and mathematical analysis of the process. She is the coauthor of the university manual Technical Thermodynamics, 2nd Edition, 2007., and the author of the university hand-book Magnesium oxide from seawater, 2010. Moreover, V. Martinac, Ph.D., is the author and coauthor of 37 scientific papers published in international and national reviewed journals, and has participated in 17 international and 29 national congresses on Materials and Technology. Her memberships include the Croatian Chemical Society (HKD), the Croatian Society of Chemical Engineers and Technologists (HDKI), Association of chemical engineers and technologists Split (UKITS) and Association of former students and friends of Faculty of Chemistry and Technology (AMACTFS-a). From (1998 .-2008.) she has been the President of the Croatian Chemical Society-the Split Branch.