Mark Benvenuto is a Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Detroit Mercy and a Fellow of the American Chemical Society. His research interests span a wide array of subjects, including the synthesis of novel materials for water remediation; plus the use of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to determine trace elemental compositions of aquatic and land-based plant matter, food and dietary supplements, and medieval and ancient artifacts. He served as the chairperson of his department at UDM for 18 years. Benvenuto received a B.S. in chemistry from the Virginia Military Institute and, after several years as a lieutenant in the United States Army, a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Virginia. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the Pennsylvania State University, he joined the faculty at the University of Detroit Mercy in 1993.