At the 69th Knights of St. Patrick Ball, Dr. Natasha Mamaril was named the 2018 Honorary Knight. The Honorary Knight is a faculty member, chosen by the Knights-elect, using the same criterion used to define a Knight. The Honorary Knight should be an individual who has demonstrated leadership in their field, contributed to the enhancement of student activities, and maintained a high level of character. Additionally, the Honorary Knight is an individual who has acted as a mentor to one or more of the Knights-elect. The Knight-elect chose Dr. Mamaril, because of her commitment to promoting undergraduate research to current and prospective students.

Dr. Mamaril is currently the director of the Illinois Scholars Undergraduate Research (ISUR) program and the coordinator of undergraduate research in the College of Engineering. She has a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of the Philippines. Prior to pursuing her graduate degree, Natasha worked for nine years in industry as an application development engineer at 3M. She and her team received a 3M International Pathfinder Award in 2006. Natasha is also a recipient of the International Fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) which provided support for her research on women’s self-beliefs in engineering. Her dissertation on engineering self-efficacy was funded by the National Science Foundation Research Initiation Grant in Engineering Education (RIGEE). Natasha’s research interests include gender differences and motivation in the context of engineering. She is mom to Caitlin, a freshman at Uni High. She enjoys cooking, baking, crafting, and loves to travel with her family.

Congratulations and thank you for all you do for ISUR and undergraduate research at Illinois!