Three Women Named University Scholars at the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois has announced the appointment of six faculty members as University Scholars. The faculty members receive support from the university for their research over the next three years. The funds can be used for travel, equipment, research assistants, or other expenses.

Three of the six new University Scholars are women.

Elvira de Mejia is a professor of food science and nutrition. Her research focuses on improving human health by the identification and evaluation of the benefits of bioactive compounds in plant foods. Professor de Mejia has a bachelor’s degree in biochemical engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico, a master’s degree in food science and technology from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. in plant biotechnology from the National Polytechnic Institute. Dr. de Mejia joined the University of Illinois faculty in 2002.

Susan A. Martinis is a professor of biochemistry and a professor of biophysics and computational biology. Her research involves the function of cellular macromolecules, particularly RNA and its interaction with proteins. Dr. Martinis is a graduate of Washington State University. She earned a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois and conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Silvina Montrul is a professor of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese and a professor of linguistics. She examines language usage among second- and third-generation immigrants who grew up in homes where a foreign language was spoken but later adopt the language of the country in which they live. Professor Montrul joined the University of Illinois faculty in 1999. She completed her bachelor’s degree in her native Argentina and earned a master’s degree in English from the University of Cincinnati and a Ph.D. in linguistics from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.