Hometown: Moscow, Russia
Hobbies: Collecting art and wild mushrooms
Favorite author: Mark Twain, for his pioneer spirit
Research specialty: Manufactured soils and plant pathology

People would be surprised to know that: "I have two Great Danes, a Husky and a Rottweiler, all rescued."

My grandmother was a smart lady. She was a biochemist in the Russian Academy of Sciences and one of the first women in the country to get a Ph.D.  As the third generation in my family to be a scientist, I’m proud of the way RMU encourages women as well as men to study for careers in science, engineering, and mathematics. Those subjects, after all, are the underpinnings of civilized society.

Not too many universities can lay claim to having so many disparate disciplines in one school. It really sparks creativity and collaboration. That’s how we created our new biomedical engineering concentration -- the pre-med faculty and the mechanical engineering faculty put their heads together and designed it.

In the eight years I've been at RMU, I’ve been impressed with the quality of our programs and our students, and by our growth. When my daughter was looking for a college, I recommended Robert Morris University. I’m glad she listened to me. (Even though she’s an English major instead of a scientist!)