World-famous teachers and scientists have worked at Imperial Novorossiya University during different times of its existence, including the Nobel Prize winner I. I. Mechnikov (after whom University was later renamed), Professors I. M. Sechenov, A. A. Kovalevskiy, N. F. Gamaleya, N. Y. Zelinskiy, D. L. Mendeleyev, physicist G. A. Gamov, mathematician A. M. Lyapunov, nabanye. Through their activities, the Imperial Novorossiya University quickly became one of the centers of the culture of the Ukrainian, Russian, and other peoples dwelling along the northern coast of the Black Sea, and the university began to play an important role in the development of science. The first Rector of the university was Professor I. Y. Sokolov. At different periods of time, the university was headed by Professors P. N. Lebedyev, A. l. Yurzhenko, A. V. Bogatskiy, V. V. Serdyuk, I. P. Zelinskiy—all prominent specialists in different branches of knowledge. At the present time, the Rector of Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University is the Fellow of the Academy of Higher School of Ukraine V. A. Smyntyna, a specialist in surface physics.