HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
Women in STEM: Shining the Light on Danijela Milosevic-Popovich Edited by SIFCO ASC Independence, Ohio - USA
www.sifcoasc.com
Taking place on the 1st to 31st of March every year, Women’s History
strive for independence. Growing up in the Balkans, it wasn’t common
Month sets to recognize and celebrate the achievements of females all
for girls to go to college and while his support of her continued studying
over the world. While it’s important to acknowledge the accolades of all
was considered a taboo, he never let the criticism distract her.
women, we’re focusing on those working in STEM (Science, Technology,
Danijela realises just how much her childhood and education shaped
Engineering and Math).
her career. Science and math help Danijela to think more critically. She approaches every problem knowing that there is a logical process to follow. She also questions any critical factors associated with resolution.
I
t’s no secret that the world of STEM has been a men’s club for decades,
She said: “I believe a strong STEM background helps train the brain to
with only 28% of women making up the workforce as opposed to 72%
think more critically. Intuition and critical thinking together create the
of men. To show that this gap is slowly (but surely) closing in, we’ve
perfect storm of problem solving and I believe math and science are key
shone the spotlight on Danijela Milosevic-Popovich, a Research and
building blocks to perfect this process.”
Development Manager at SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts (ASC). Danijela graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor
Education - the passport for the future
of Science and Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering. She
With a bachelor’s degree and two masters degrees under her belt,
then continued to earn her Master of
Danijela knows just how important
Engineering Management from Ohio
education and qualifications are for
University. Before becoming part of the
anybody, whether male or female, wanting
team at SIFCO ASC in 2005, she worked in
to work in STEM. While there’s still a
the semiconductor and rubber industries.
long way to go before we close the gap
From talking about how to remove the
of women working in these fields, the
glass ceiling for women in engineering, to
number of women awarded STEM degrees
changing the future of electroplating, we
every year has increased by over 50,000 in
found out what inspires Danijela, and how
the past decade.
she strives to create a better future for
Danijela embarked on her last masters
herself and other females in STEM.
degree when she was pregnant with her first daughter, and continued to study and
Science and math: the foundations of STEM
work full time. Driven by her passion to expand her horizons and learn as much as
Danijela knew she wanted to work in a
she could, she persevered.
STEM field since she was young - her
This story echoes a similar message
passion for science and math started in
that Audrey Gelman, CEO of The Wing
grade school. She loved the challenge of
told when she became the first visibly
figuring out equations, learning theories,
pregnant woman to grace the cover of Inc.
and knew from very early on that having a
Magazine. Gelman wanted to show that women can, “take greater professional
background in science would provide her with a strong foundation no matter what career path she followed. Her father - her biggest cheerleader and inspiration - always motivated her to advance her education and
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Danijela Milosevic-Popovich, a Research and Development Manager at SIFCO Applied Surface Concepts (ASC).
risks whilst also not shelving their dreams of becoming a mother and starting a family.” Afterall, if men can have it all, why can’t women?