Born: 3 August 1920, Latvia
Died: 4 October 2004
Country most active: Latvia
Also known as: Эмилия Юлиановна Гудриниеце
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Emīlija Gudriniece was a Soviet and Latvian chemist renowned for her contributions to organic synthesis. Gudriniece successfully synthesized furacilin, an accomplishment that earned her a state prize. She played a pioneering role in advocating for the utilization of vegetable oils as biofuels and initiated rapeseed oil refining research in Latvia. Her impactful endeavors extended to editorial leadership for the Latvian Journal of Chemistry, authoring a Latvian-language textbook on organic synthesis and amassing a collection of awards in recognition of her outstanding work.
The following was written by Nina Baker and is excerpted from the book From Alchemy to Transport Phenomena: A Global History of Women in Chemical Engineering.
Emīlija Gudriniece (1920-2004) was a Latvian who qualified in chemical engineering in Latvia and worked there for her whole career. She worked on the practical use of substances and synthesized furacilin, and one of the first to recognize the potential of using vegetable oils as biofuels and initiated the study of rapeseed oil refining in Latvia. Gudriniece was also twice Latvian Women’s Motorcycling Champion (1949 and 1953).