Rate My Professor Maria Benavides

Maria Benavides, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of Houston-Downtown. She holds the positions of Chemistry Program Coordinator and Assistant Chair within the department. As coordinator, she manages the Environmental Chemistry Concentration, Biochemistry Concentration, and Chemistry - Forensic Science Concentration for the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry program, ensuring alignment of course requirements and supporting student progression through these specialized tracks. Her longstanding faculty presence is evident in university catalogs dating back to at least 2005, during which time she has contributed to program development and coordination.

Benavides demonstrates significant commitment to university service and governance. She serves as Secretary of the Faculty Council for the 2025-2026 term and has participated in elections for the Ethics Inquiry Committee. She was honored with the UHD Faculty Service Award for her contributions. Benavides served on the Chemistry Field of Study Advisory Committee until October 2023. As a mentor in the UHD Scholars Academy, she supervises undergraduate research projects featured at the annual Student Research Conference. She has held roles as Co-PI on Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Scholarship and Minority Serving Institution Partnership (MSIP) grants, fostering opportunities in STEM fields. Students have recognized her influence, such as a Tu Futuro Scholar crediting her alongside colleagues for academic success. Her expertise is sought externally, including commentary on essential skills for process safety engineers, stressing chemical foundations, analytical techniques, and process knowledge.

Benavides' research encompasses computational and spectroscopic analyses in coordination chemistry. Notable publications include 'Au⋅⋅⋅H−X (X=N or C) Intramolecular Interactions in Gold(I)-NHC Complexes' (ChemistryOpen, 2024; co-authored with Elizabeth Granda), exploring structural and vibrational properties of gold complexes, and 'Structural Insights into the Binding of Uranyl with Human Serum Albumin' (Chemical Research in Toxicology, 2009). She has supported student presentations at events like the Texas Academy of Science meetings and contributed to conference proceedings on statistical methods in process reliability.