Professional Affiliation

Researcher

Expert Bio

Emina Umarov, a graduate of the Helen Harding Honors College at the University of Memphis, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Russian. She achieved Magna Cum Laude honors and received both the MOW-PEP Grant and the TN Hope Scholarship. She is the daughter of Dr. Sanjar Umarov, a prominent Uzbek politician and businessman, who founded Sunshine Uzbekistan, a pro-democracy organization advocating economic reforms. Dr. Umarov faced politically motivated charges of embezzlement and money laundering, resulting in imprisonment until his release in 2009, after which he moved to the United States and continued his work in human rights advocacy issues. This personal experience has inspired Emina to further her education in Security Policy Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, starting in the fall of 2024.