Prof. Elisa S. Orth concluded her PhD in 2011, receiving the best thesis prize in exact science/engineering of Brazil. In 2012, she became associate professor at Federal University of Paraná, where she is leader of the Catalysis and Kinetic Group. Together with the global concern to prevent hunger, ensure safe food and encourage sustainability, the group is focused in studying novel ways in order to monitor the presence of agrochemicals in the food or crops and also in the development of efficient destruction methods in the case of unused stockpiles, which are imminent threats. These studies have been extended to chemical warfare (destroying, alerting attacks and therapeutic treatments) since the group is interested in a specific class of compounds: organophosphates. They have been engaged in elucidating optimal reaction pathways towards less toxic products, screening for ideal catalysts and creating simple apparatus for field analysis. She is concerned in allying sustainability, developing greener synthetic routes under milder conditions and reusing several wastes for developing novel biocompatible catalysts.
Professor Orth has received several prizes e.g. 2018 the PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC Green Chemistry for Life and in 2016 the International Rising Talents award from L’Oréal-UNESCO. She has supervised 3 PhD thesis, 4 master dissertation and 30 undergraduate studies and currently supervises 1 post-doc, 4 PhD, 3 master and 4 undergraduate students. Prof. Orth is greatly dedicated to promoting scientific dissemination and science education by creating didactic experiments and new graduate courses, writing texts for textbooks, giving lectures in schools, and interviews in the media. Due to her dedication to teaching she has received two commencement speaker awards by chemistry graduate classes. She has also been dedicated to activities related to gender equality, such as giving lectures, participating in events such as Pint of Science and organizing symposiums.
