Research with impact: Celebrating extraordinary women driving discovery

With a $1.2 billion research impact, the University of Illinois System knows a thing or two about breaking barriers. From science to the humanities to health care, women researchers across the System's three universities have made discoveries, launched innovations and driven change - not just throughout history, but right now.

Here are a handful of the many women powering some of the top discoveries to come out of the University of Illinois System in the last five years.

Mary Maryland, University of Illinois Chicago: Mary Maryland, a UIC alumna, brings a "leap of faith" mindset to a career that spans nursing, global speaking, education and administration. In addition to her role as a primary care provider at WellBe Senior Medical, she co-authored a $380,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant and secured a consulting contract with NASA.

Rong (Irene) Zhong, University of Illinois Chicago: At UIC's Department of Accounting, Rong (Irene) Zhongresearches corporate disclosure, innovation and environmental, social and governance frameworks. Her work illuminates how the flow of information shapes organizational behavior across capital and labor markets.

Besma Smida, University of Illinois Chicago: Besma Smidahas built her career bridging communication, sensing/radar and electromagnetic theory to improve wireless technology. Her expertise in computer and electrical engineering has earned her multiple prestigious National Science Foundation grants, including the CAREER award, as well as funding from the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army.

Mina Raj, University of Urbana-Champaign: Mina Rajstudies health and kinesiology with a focus on caregiving for underserved populations, including those from different cultural groups. Her research challenges the limitations of the current health care system, pushing for policies that better support family caregivers.

Becky Smith, University of Urbana-Champaign: An epidemiology professor and public health policy expert, Becky Smith was a leading voice during the 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns. Her work on infectious disease preparedness and surveillance continues to shape what effective - and ineffective - public health policy looks like.

Xueli (Shirley) Huang, University of Illinois Springfield: As a computer science professor focused on cybersecurity, Xueli (Shirley) Huangchallenges her students to think critically about real-world security threats. Her research keeps pace with a rapidly evolving field, equipping University of Illinois Springfield students with the tools to identify and mitigate security risks while encouraging them to think about the ethical dimensions of emerging technologies such as AI.

Zeynep Madak-Erdogan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: A pioneer in breast cancer research, Zeynep Madak-Erdoganinvestigates the relationship between hormones, metabolism and cancer risk as a professor of food science and human nutrition and associate director for education at the Cancer Center at Illinois. Her work helps identify lifestyle practices linked to long, healthy lives.

Natalya Zinkevich, University of Illinois Springfield: Assistant professor of biology Natalya Zinkevich co-authored a groundbreaking study finding that sitagliptin, a common diabetes drug, does more than regulate blood sugar - it also protects blood vessels and supports heart health. Her findings open promising new avenues for preventing heart disease-related complications.

- Emily Krivograd, University of Illinois System