Maria Harja

Maria Harja is a Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering within the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection at Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași. With a career spanning over 30 years, she has held positions from Tutor (1990-1993) to Head of Works (1997-2013) before becoming an Associate Professor (2013-2020) and Professor (2020-present). Her research focuses on adsorption/absorption processes, chemical reactor modeling, CO2/SO2 capture, and waste valorization for sustainable materials.

• Doctor in Chemistry (1999), Habilitation in Advanced Waste Valorization (2016)
• Over 190 publications (40+ ISI), 464 Scopus citations, H-index 17
• Recipient of 1 international and 7 national grants

Her teaching spans Chemical Engineering, Non-polluting Process Engineering, and Medical Bioengineering, covering topics like reactor design, inorganic products, and biocomposites. Research projects include developing eco-friendly binders, phase change materials for buildings, and antibiotic removal technologies. She has published extensive teaching materials, including 163-page course notes on chemical reactor modeling.

Scientific contributions include:

• International Grant: Capacități Program – Module III, Bilateral Cooperations and Leonardo da Vinci
• 7 National Grants
• 6 R&D contracts with companies (4 as lead)
• 2 national projects for protected natural areas awareness