Liane G. Benning, Head of GFZ section Interface Geochemistry, was elected as a new member of the German Academy of Sciences - Leopoldina. She moved to Germany in 2014 and is a Professor in Interface Geochemistry at the GFZ and at the Free University in Berlin. She is also still a Professor for Experimental Geochemistry at the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds (UK ). Her research focusses on bio-geo-interaction on snow and ice in Polar regions as well as on mineral-fluid interface reactions to understand mineral formation in Earth Surface environments.

The Leopoldina is a supranational association of scientists and academics. More than a quarter of its members are from countries other than Germany. The scientists and academics are elected by the Presidium on the basis of nomination by existing members and a multi-stage selection process. They are experts in their respective field of research. Currently counting over 1,500 members in around 30 countries, the Leopoldina is the largest academy in Germany. (rn)