Joining the University of Illinois Staff in 1980, she has been the head of the Entomology Department since 1992, and Swanlund Chair of Entomology since ‘96. She received the Public Understanding of Science and Technology award, and most recently the national medal of science from for President...
Women in History
Alumni, Mary Temple Grandin, returned with her PhD to teach as an animal science professor. She is best known as being one of the first individuals to speak about her experience with autism. In 2010, she was one of TIME Magazine’s most influential people in the world, and in Feb. 2017, she was...
Receiving the Outstanding Teaching Award in ‘81 and ‘82 as a graduate student, she moved on to have her work displayed in Phyllis Needlman Gallery in Chicago. As an alum, she is a well-known artist/photographer with several exhibitions and public appearances. Women featured in our weekly...
Earning her degree in architecture, Jeanne Gang founded Studio Gang Architects. She is known for the Aqua skyscraper and Nature Boardwalk. She was an International Rotary Fellow and has won many other awards. Women featured in our weekly series are part of the 150 for 150 website...
Alumni Iris Chang earned her degree in Journalism. She later moved on to becoming a successful writer for the New York Times and a sensational author. Her book, The Rape of Nanjing: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II was placed on the New York Times Bestseller list for 10 weeks, making her a...
Earning her Master’s and her PhD from the Department of Anthropology, she returned as faculty. She has earned global recognition for her work in African American and Latino Studies. Read more: https://gec150.web.illinois.edu/1980s/...
Initially earning a Bachelor’s in Library Science and a Master’s in Social Work, Patricia Morey returned to campus to serve as the Director of the Women’s Resource Center from 1992 to June 2017. Prior to becoming director, she worked at the Women’s Center of Champaign and was the Director of Rape...
Becoming the first Dean of Libraries and University Librarian from ‘99 to 2013, she was the first recipient of the Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson University Library Deanship. She has received many awards and distinctions, and served as Interim Chief information Office from ‘06-’07. Women...
Ramona Faith Oswald joined the University of Illinois faculty in 1998 and became a professor in 2001. She is a recognized leader in LGBT family life; she founded and co-chaired (1998-2003) the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Alliance Focusgroup. Currently she is the main organizer...
Renee Heiken Slone graduated from the University of Illinois in 1993 and then became the head coach for the women’s golf team at the University in 2006. Throughout her career as a student athlete, Renee was a three-time All-American, claiming three straight top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships...
Reshma Saujani graduated from the University of Illinois in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Speech Communication. She was the founder of the organization Girls Who Code, started in 2012. She is also the first Indian American woman and the first South Asian American woman to...
Grentz joined the University of Illinois coaching staff in 1995, becoming the Head Coach for the Women’s Basketball team. She was named Big 10 Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998, leading the women’s basketball team to the Sweet Sixteen in 1997. Prior to her coaching career at Illinois, Grentz...
Nancy Abelmann joined the University of Illinois faculty in 1990, and was a scholar in Anthropology, Asian American Studies, East Asian Languages and Cultures, and Gender and Women’s Studies. She was a member of the core committee that founded the Asian American Studies program (now department...
Maimouna Barro received her M.A. in African Studies in 1997 and her PhD in Education with a minor in Gender Relations in International Development (GRID) in 2005, both from the University of Illinois. She is the Associate Director at the Center for African Studies and has been instrumental in...
Burton became a Professor in the History Department at the University of Illinois in 2001. She has been a Catherine C. and Bruce A. Bastian Professor of Global and Transnational Studies since 2004, and became the Director of the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities in 2016. Burton is a...
