University Scholar Award
Learn more about the University Scholars Recognition Program.
Introducing the 2023-2024 University Scholar Award Recipients Heading link
Natasha Devroye
Natasha Devroye
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering
Natasha Devroye is a Professor in the ECE department at UIC, which she joined in 2009 after earning her Ph.D. from Harvard. She has been active in supporting women in engineering and was recently elevated to IEEE fellow for her research in information theory.
Robert F. Klie
Robert F. Klie
Department of Physics
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Robert F. Klie is a Professor and current Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His research focuses on aberration-corrected imaging and spectroscopy of energy materials at the atomic-scale using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). In recent years. Dr. Klie has pioneered novel approaches to studying water, biological systems and solid-liquid interfaces using graphene liquid cells and ultra-high resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Dr. Klie has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers with more than 11,000 citations. He is also a Fellow of the Microscopy Society of America. Since 2023, Dr. Klie is a co-leader of the UIC Institute of Functional and Regenerative Materials, bringing together scientists from the medical field and the areas of materials science and engineering to develop multi-modal approaches for novel materials, sensors or tissue regeneration.
Georgeta-Elisabeta (Liz) Marai
Georgeta-Elisabeta (Liz) Marai
Department of Computer Science
College of Engineering
Georgeta-Elisabeta Marai’s research is in visual computing, an area of computer science that handles images, 3D models, and the interaction between humans and data that can be represented visually. Her research interests go from visual-system related problems that can be robustly solved through automation, to problems that require human experts in the computational loop, and the principles behind this work. This body of research has been recognized by her peers with an NSF CAREER Award and by multiple NSF and multi-site NIH R01 awards, including one as an early-stage investigator. She has received multiple Outstanding Research Awards at conferences, along with her students. Her research has been featured on journal and newsletter covers. She has co-authored scientific open-source software adopted by thousands of users, and she is a patent co-author.
A. Simon Pickard
A. Simon Pickard
Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy
College of Pharmacy
A. Simon Pickard, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois – Chicago. Dr. Pickard’s research focuses on evaluating the safety, effectiveness and value of health care interventions; improving drug-related outcomes through education (particularly opioids); and the measurement and evaluation of quality of care and health outcomes. He has had a leadership role in numerous international collaborations to develop and value measures of health and well-being, as well as tools to assess educational outreach.
Karl Rockne
Karl Rockne
Department of Civil, Materials and Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering
Karl Rockne is Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Environmental Engineering developing innovative technologies for environmental cleanup. He has received 14 teaching, research, and service awards, including both the Director’s Award and CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Rockne’s research is funded by grants totaling $17M and he is in the top 3-6% worldwide in citations in environmental engineering. Outside of work, Karl is an avid marathoner and triathlete.
Deepak Shukla
Deepak Shukla
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
College of Medicine – Chicago
Deepak Shukla, Ph.D., is a distinguished scientist and professor renowned for his extensive research in herpesvirus pathogenesis. He serves as the Professor and Associate Head for Research at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, holding the esteemed title of Marion H. Schenk Esq. Professor in Ophthalmology for Research of the Aging Eye. He is also a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology. Professor Shukla has earned notable recognition in his field, being elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and receiving honors from the American Herpes Foundation for discovering the HSV-1 entry receptor. He specializes in research on Ocular Herpes Infections, delving deep into their mechanisms and interventions. His extensive work has been published in over 175 research papers, with his contributions being featured in high-impact journals like Cell, PNAS, Science Translational Medicine, Science Advances, Angewandte Chemie, and Nature Communications. His groundbreaking research has been spotlighted by esteemed institutions such as NIH, NEI, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and has caught the attention of the public through features in Newsweek, The Atlantic, and Chicago Magazine.
Past University Scholar Recipients Heading link
-
2022-2023
1
- Mary Ashley, Professor, Biological Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Joanna Burdette, Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy
- Judith Cook, Professor, Psychiatry, Medicine
2
- Orly Lazarov, Professor, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medicine
- Amin Salehi-Khojin, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Engineering
- Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar. Professor, Occupational Therapy, Applied Health Sciences
-
2021-2022
1
- Eben Alsberg, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering
- Arden Handler, Professor, Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health
- Maria Krysan, Professor, Sociology, Liberal Arts and Sciences
2
- Abolfazl Mohammadian, Professor, Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering, Engineering
- Heather Prendergast, Professor, Emergency Medicine, Medicine
- Reza Shahbazian-Yassar, Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Engineering