Women of Impact

Recognizing Excellence in Research & Innovation

Meet the 2024 Honorees

The Office of Research, Innovation, and Impact is honored to host the annual Women of Impact initiative and recognition event, celebrating outstanding faculty and staff who exemplify U of A’s values. Each year, we invite nominations from across the university to identify individuals whose work drives discovery, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, builds community impact, and empowers others. These Women of Impact represent the heart of our R1, land-grant mission, creating a legacy that reaches far beyond our campus. Together, they are building a foundation for a brighter future.

We are honored to introduce our 2024 Women of Impact cohort.

These impressive and forward-thinking leaders represent 15 units across the university. Each individual makes an impact that resonates across the University of Arizona and beyond.

Nadia Alvarez Mexia

Assistant Professor of Practice
Assistant Director, Learning Development and Community Involvement
W.A. Franke Honors College
Affiliated Faculty, College of Education and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Gail Burd

Senior Vice Provost, Academic Affairs, Teaching and Learning
University Distinguished Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
College of Science
WSCUC Accreditation Liaison Officer

Erika Eggers

Professor, Physiology
Associate Department Head for Research, Physiology
College of Medicine- Tucson
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
College of Engineering
Professor, BIO5 Institute

Lisa Elfring

Vice Provost, Assessment, Teaching and Technology
Specialist, Biology Education
College of Science
Professor, BIO5 Institute

Andrea K. Gerlak

Director, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy
Professor, School of Geography, Development and Environment
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Hee Jeong Kim

Assistant Professor, Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics
College of Engineering

Sangita Judge

Vice President, Research Operations
Research Assistant Professor, Nutritional Sciences
Research, Innovation and Impact

Simin Karimi

Emerita Professor, Linguistics
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Amelia Kraehe

Associate Vice President, Equity in the Arts,
Co-Founder, Racial Justice Studio
Arizona Arts
Professor, Art and Visual Culture Education
College of Fine Arts

Josephine Korchmaros

Director, Southwest Institute for Research on Women
Research Social Scientist and Research Professor, Southwest Institute for Research on Women
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Kirsten Limesand

Vice Provost, Graduate Education
Dean, Graduate College
Professor, Nutritional Sciences and Wellness
College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Member, Cancer Center

Melanie McKay-Cody

Assistant Professor, Disability and Psychoeducational Studies
College of Education

Maha Nassar

Associate Professor, School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies
Affiliated Faculty, History; Gender and Women's Studies; Religious Studies; Center for Middle East Studies
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Kimberly Ogden

Chair and Professor, Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Professor, Agricultural-Biosystems Engineering
Director, Arizona Institute of Advanced Energy Solutions
College of Engineering

Jenn Parlin

Director, The Garden Kitchen
Assistant Agent, Family-Consumer and Health Sciences
Pima County Cooperative Extension
Division of Agriculture, Life and Veterinary Sciences, and Cooperative Extension

Lori Poloni-Staudinger

Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Professor, School of Government and Public Policy

Cindy Rankin

Associate Professor (Educator Scholar), Physiology
Director, Physiology Honors Academy
Executive Director, University of Arizona Health Sciences K-12 Health Literacy Project
College of Medicine- Tucson

Jessica Retis

Director, School of Journalism
Director, Bilingual Journalism Program
CUES Distinguished Fellow Full Professor, Journalism
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Channah Rock

Professor and Water Quality Specialist, Environmental Science
Jim Brennan Endowed Chair in Extension Fresh Produce Safety
College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences
Maricopa Agricultural Center

Kathleen Rodgers

Associate Director, Center for Innovation in Brain Science
Professor, Pharmacology
College of Medicine- Tucson
Professor, BIO5 Institute

Janet Roveda

Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Professor, Nursing
Director, Center for Stream Healthcare in Place
College of Engineering
Professor, BIO5 Institute

Karen Seat

Director, School of International Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Department Head, Religious Studies and Classics
Associate Professor, Religious Studies
College of Humanities

Rebecca Senf

Chief Curator, Center for Creative Photography
Arizona Arts

Lisa Shubitz

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Research Scientist, Valley Fever Center for Excellence
College of Medicine- Tucson
Associate Research Professor, Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences
College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences
Member, BIO5 Institute

Stacey Tecot

Associate Professor, Anthropology
Director, Laboratory for the Evolutionary Endocrinology of Primates
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute

Stephanie Troutman Robbins

Department Head and Associate Professor, Gender and Women's Studies
Associate Professor, English
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Assistant Professor, Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies
College of Education
Affiliated Faculty, Graduate College and W. A. Franke Honors College

Kasey Urquidez

Chief Enrollment Officer
Vice President, Enrollment Management
Dean, Undergraduate Admissions

Karna Walter

Assistant Dean, Student Engagement
Director, Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships
W.A. Franke Honors College

Beth Weinstein

Acting Associate Dean, Student Affairs
Associate Professor, Architecture
Program Chair, Object and Spatial Designs emphasis areas, BA Design Arts and Practices
College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture

Ada Wilkinson-Lee

Associate Professor, Co- Principal Investigator, Arizona Prevention Research Center
Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health
Associate Professor, Mexican American Studies
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Hao Helen Zhang

Professor, Mathematics
Professor and Chair, Statistics and Data Science Graduate Interdisciplinary Program
Professor, Applied Mathematics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program
College of Science
Member, Cancer Center

Young Women of Impact program

In 2023, we broadened the Women of Impact campaign to include principal-nominated public high school students from Pima County. This year, we expanded further to include Santa Cruz and Cochise counties, honoring 30 exceptional young women from across Southern Arizona who are making a meaningful impact on their campuses and in their communities. 

More about Young Women of Impact

“We recognize the importance of acknowledging young women making a difference in their schools and communities, connecting them with university role models, and cultivating a pipeline of future Women of Impact.” 

—Lisa Romero, associate vice president of marketing and communications for RII

“Through programs like Young Women of Impact, U of A has made sure that students at Sunnyside know that college is for everyone and that they belong, and can thrive, at this university.” 

—Stephanie Ponce, Principal of Sunnyside High School (SHS)

Learn about previous Women of Impact cohorts

2023 2022

Questions? Contact:

Craig Reck
Manager, Communications and Content
craigreck@arizona.edu

Lauren Coronado
Program Coordinator, Events and Marketing
lalomb@arizona.edu