Six faculty members at the flagship campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign have earned the title of University Scholar. The designation comes with a cash award of $10,000 for each of the next three years. The money can be used for research, equipment, travel, or subscriptions. Two of the six new University Scholars are women.
Naira Hovakimyan is a professor of mechanical science and engineering at the University of Illinois. She is an expert on robotic control systems for aircraft.
Dr. Hovakimyan holds a Ph.D. from the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Cynthia Oliver is a professor of dance at the university. She has been on the faculty since 2000.
Professor Oliver holds a Ph.D. in performance studies from New York University. She is the author of Queen of the Virgins: Pageantry and Black Womanhood in the Caribbean (University of Mississippi Press, 2009).