Zhupanska Wins Women of Impact Award

The University of Arizona Office of Research, Innovation and Impact has announced the winners of the inaugural Women of Impact Awards. The 30 women, including AME professor Olesya Zhupanska, were awarded for their commitment to the university's mission and values, application of skills toward discovery and innovation, enrichment of our community, and the empowerment of others to ensure lasting change.

Zhupanska is an expert in multifunctional and structural composites in extreme environments. She has authored and co-authored more than 100 technical publications, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

"I am delighted and honored to introduce the inaugural class of Women of Impact, comprised of 30 bold and forward-thinking leaders, who will serve as mentors to a growing network of honorees in the years to come," said Elizabeth "Betsy" Cantwell, senior vice president for research and innovation. "These women are an outstanding example of the many on campus who forge innovative pathways, powerful collaborations and remarkable discoveries that contribute to our identity as a world-class institution."

This year's additional winning engineering faculty are biomedical engineering assistant professor Judith Su and systems and industrial engineering assistant professor Hongyue Jin. 

The Women of Impact Awardees were recognized with a celebration at 3 p.m. on Aug. 24, at the Health Sciences & Innovation Building. Funds raised at the event will support research and scholarship among faculty, staff and students.