Elena Rybak-Akimova, a professor of chemistry at Tufts University in Massachusetts, died on March 11. She was 56 years old and had suffered from cancer. Her research focused on how activated oxygen molecules drive biological processes.
A native of Ukraine, Rybak-Akimova, while in high school, was the first girl to win a gold medal in Ukraine’s National Chemistry Olympiad. She also won the gold medal at the 10th International Chemistry Olympiad in Torun, Poland.
Professor Rybak-Akimova was a summa cum laude graduate of Shevchenko University in Kiev. She later earned a Ph.D. u inorganic chemistry at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Academy of Science of Ukraine. Dr. Rybak-Akimova came to the United States in 1992 to conduct postdoctoral research at the University of Kansas.
Professor Rybak-Akimova joined the faculty at Tufts University in 1997 as an assistant professor. She was promoted to associate professor in 2003 and full professor in 2009.