UC Riverside Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Mihri Ozkan, who conducts multidisciplinary research in fields ranging from next-generation computer chips to new medical treatments, received the Emerging Scholar award for 2005 from the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

The national award recognizes the early professional achievement of an untenured woman scholar who has demonstrated excellence in research and teaching and exhibits a commitment to women's issues in the profession or in the community.

Ozkan conducts research that includes new types of displays, bio-assisted assembly of electronics and improving diagnostics and treatment for cancer. In addition to her work in the classroom, Ozkan works with undergraduate and graduate students in her laboratory. She is the faculty advisor to UCR's chapter of the Society of Women Engineers and the faculty mentor for the American Society of Women in Engineering.

Ozkan's appointment is in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and she is a member of the Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE).

"It is rare to find an electrical engineer with such a depth of training and experience in electronics, biological systems and materials science," wrote Chancellor France A. Córdova in a letter nominating Ozkan for the award. "She is using this as a platform for training our next generation of engineers and scientists to be creative in approaching our next generation of research challenges."

Founded in 1881, AAUW has more than 100,000 members, 1,300 branches and 550 college/university institution partners nationwide. The organization promotes equity for all women and girls, lifelong education and positive social change.

Recipients receive an honorarium of $5,000 and travel expenses to the June 2005 AAUW Convention in Washington, D.C.

Ozkan has worked at UCR since 2001. She is the recipient of many other awards including the Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology's 2004 Frontier Research award, the International Society of BioMEMS' Visionary Science Award in 2003, the Biomedical Nanotechnology, Achievement in Technical Ingenuity award in 2003 and the Regents and Academic Senate faculty excellence awards in 2004 and 2002.