54 D'MENSIONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2026 ALUMNI NEWS D’YOUVILLE UNIVERSITY REMEMBERS EDITH MARIE FLANIGEN (’50), an alumna whose brilliance, perseverance, and generosity of spirit shaped modern science and inspired generations to follow. Flanigen passed away on Jan. 6, at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy that spans chemistry, innovation and global impact. Born in Buffalo on January 28, 1929, Flanigen was raised in a family that valued education and curiosity. Alongside her sisters — including Jane Flanigen Griffin, also a proud D’Youville alumna — she was encouraged by exceptional teachers to pursue science at a time when few women were welcomed into the field. At D’Youville College, Flanigen distinguished herself early, earning her undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1950 as class president and valedictorian. She went on to complete a master’s degree in inorganic physical chemistry at Syracuse University, which later awarded her an honorary doctorate. Flanigen’s professional career began in 1952 at Union Carbide’s Linde Trailblazing chemist was innovator in clean energy Over the course of Edith Flanigen’s career, she invented more than 200 synthentic materials and earned 109 patents EDITH MARIE FLANIGEN | 1929-2026 Division, where her work would help redefine applied chemistry. Her groundbreaking research on molecular sieves — particularly her role in developing Zeolite Y — revolutionized petroleum refining, making fuel production more efficient, cleaner and safer. Her innovations also reached far beyond energy, contributing to water purification and environmental remediation efforts worldwide, including the cleanup of contaminated water following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. A trailblazer in every sense, Flanigen became head of Union Carbide’s molecular sieve research team in 1968 and, in 1973, the company’s first female Corporate Research Fellow. Over the course of her remarkable career, she invented more than 200 synthetic materials, earned 109 patents, authored dozens of publications and remained professionally active well into her 90s. Her achievements earned the highest honors in science and technology, including the Perkin Medal, election to the National Academy of Engineering, induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, presented by President Barack Obama in 2014. “Edith Flanigen exemplified the very best of D’Youville — intellectual courage, service to humanity, and leadership grounded in purpose,” said D’Youville University President Dr. Lorrie Clemo. “Her life reminds our students and alumni that one person’s curiosity and commitment can truly change the world.” In her later years, Flanigen returned to Buffalo to be with family, including her beloved sister Jane. She is remembered not only as a scientific pioneer, but as a devoted aunt, mentor and role model whose legacy will endure for generations to come. Edith Marie Flanigen’s groundbreaking achievements in chemistry earned her the Perkin medal, election to the National Academy of Engineering, induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, presented by President Barack Obama in 2014.
