Vilma Brukiené
Weiser Professional Development Fellow, 2010
Vilma Brukiené is a lecturer in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the Institute of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Lithuania. Professor Brukiené received her Doctor of Odontology degree in 1999 and completed her specialization in pediatric dentistry in 2002. In addition to teaching, she works at the Zalgiris Clinic at Vilnius University. She spent four weeks at U-M, consulting with her host advisor Professor B.H. Clarkson; professor of dentistry in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics; who has been leading research efforts on the use of nano-technology and coating implants. Professor Brukiené researched the use of synthetic enamel coating on stainless steel crowns for children.
Oxana Chorna
Weiser Professional Development Fellow, 2010
Oxana Chorna is the director of the Institute of International Finance, Dnipropetrovsk University of Economics and Law, Ukraine. Professor Chorna received her Ph.D. in economics in 2005 from the same university, where she has been an associate professor of finance and banking since that time. During her stay, Professor Chorna focused on financial management problems in transitional economies with her host advisor, Professor Barbara Peitsch of the College of Business at U-M Dearborn, and several professors at the Ross School of Business.
Guram Kvirkvelia
Weiser Professional Development Fellow, 2010
Guram Kvirkvelia is a principal researcher at the Centre of Archaeology, Georgian National Museum (GNM), Tbilisi, Georgia. Dr. Kvirkvelia received his Doctor of Sciences from the Georgian Academy of Sciences in 1999. From 1995-2005, he was head of the Department of Informatics. Dr. Kvirkvelia collaborated on research with his host advisor Professor Christopher Ratté, director of the Interdepartmental Program in Classical Art and Archaeology. Their focus was on artifacts uncovered in the Vani region of Georgia during a joint expedition of the GNM and U-M.
Ilona Michailovic
Weiser Professional Development Fellow, 2010
Ilona Michailovic is an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, Faculty of Law, Vilnius University, Lithuania. Professor Michailovic received her Ph.D. in law from Vilnius University in 2001. She spent several years working as a researcher at the Institute of Law, Department of Criminological Research, and in 2002-03 worked for the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania. At U-M, Professor Michailovic's researched violent conflict and its legal regulation from a gendered perspective; her host advisor was Catharine MacKinnon, Elizabeth A. Long Professor of Law.
Ruben Mirakyan
Weiser Professional Development Fellow, 2010
Ruben Mirakyan is an associate professor of Islamic Studies in the Department of Arabic Studies at Yerevan State University, Armenia. Professor Mirakyan received his Ph.D. in 2002 from Yerevan State University. In addition to teaching, he has been the director of the Armenian Center for Middle Eastern Studies, an NGO in Yerevan, since 2007. Professor Mirakyan visited U-M to research Islam in the United States. His host advisor was Alexander Knysh, professor of Islamic studies and associate director of the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies.
Branislav Ondrášik
Weiser Professional Development Fellow, 2010
Branislav Ondrášik is assistant professor and director at the Institute of Mass Media Communication, Faculty of Media, Bratislava School of Law, Slovakia. Professor Ondrášik received his Ph.D. from the department of Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, Comenius University in 2007. He holds an M.A. in political communications from University of Leeds, UK and an M.A. in journalism. Professor Ondrášik visited U-M to research political communication and campaigning in the 2010 gubernatorial and congressional elections in Michigan. His host advisor was David A. Howell, assistant director of the Center for Political Studies and director of studies, Comparative Study of Electoral Systems.
Dainius H. Pauza
Weiser Professional Development Fellow, 2010
Dainius H. Pauza is a professor and principal investigator in the Institute of Anatomy, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania. He received his Ph.D. from the Kaunas University of Medicine in 1992, where he has taught since 1995. At U-M he researched the role of the brain type sodium channel isoform Nav1.6 in the electrical excitation and innervations of the mouse heart. His host advisor and research collaborator was Professor José Jalife, M.D., Cyrun and Jane Farrehi Professor of Cardiovascular Research and co-director of the Center for Arrhythmia Research.
