Prof. Dr. Claudia Weidenthaler elected designated chairwomen of the German Mineralogical Society

Prof. Dr. Claudia Weidenthaler was elected as vice-chairwoman for 2026 and designated chairwoman for 2027-2028 of the German Mineralogical Society.

In November 2025, the members of the German Mineralogical Society (DMG) elected Prof. Dr. Claudia Weidenthaler, head of the Powder Diffraction and Surface Spectroscopy group at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, as vice-chairwomen 2026 and as designated chairwomen in 2027 and 2028. The DMG represents the full range of mineralogical research. It supports the scientific community by organizing conferences, developing teaching materials for schools and students, and co-publishing the European Journal of Mineralogy.

Weidenthaler and her team investigate how the structure–property relationship influences the performance of catalysts at different length scales, focusing on energy-related materials. Their work includes operando studies of catalysts for ammonia synthesis and decomposition, carbon materials for electrochemical applications, and in situ studies to improve our fundamental understanding of mechanochemical processes. “It is very important to me to represent all areas of scientific research in mineralogy and to position mineralogy well within the large geoscientific community” says Weidenthaler. “I originally studied mineralogy before moving into chemistry. Today, mineralogy and chemistry are closely connected: modern mineralogical research relies on advanced analytical techniques and increasingly includes synthetic materials among its core topics.”

Founded in 1908, the German Mineralogical Society now has around 1,550 members, most of whom work at universities, research institutions, or in industry. The society is organized into four sections: Applied Mineralogy, Crystallography, Geochemistry, and Petrology and Petrophysics.