On March 30, 2011, Professor Natalia Komarova was recognized by Athletics for her outstanding academic achievement and her contribution to the mission of UC Irvine. Professor Komarova was recognized at the recommendation of the Athletic Director's Faculty Advisory Group. The program of recognizing faculty members began in 2010 and was the instituted by Athletic Director Michael Izzito highlight the incredible faculty we have at UCI.
 
Professor Komarova has received many honors and awards in the past. In 2002, Natalia, then a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, won the first "Prize for Promise" award, a $100,000 award given by Student Achievement and Advocacy Services. The award "recognizes young women of exceptional ability, ambition, boldness, brilliance and dedication within their field of expertise." She then received a Sloan Fellowship in 2005, which is one of the most prestigious awards available to young scholars. In 2006-2007, she was awarded the UCI Academic Senate Distinguished Assistant Professor Award for Research, and in 2009 she received the UCI School of Physical Sciences Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
 
Professor Komarova's main research interests are in the modeling of cancer and the evolution of language. More information about her research can be found on her website.