Her Story
About Slobodanka
I'm originally from Macedonia, where I chose to pursue chemistry and chemical engineering at age 14 in a country where you choose your career path early. My high school had an emphasis in chemistry and chemical engineering, so I got all my freshman-level classes in those fields during high school. I wanted to be a chemistry teacher and went to college in Macedonia for a couple of years, but I had to stop because my country was falling apart - that was Yugoslavia, and the war was there. I helped my parents with their business for a few years, opened my own business, then sold it and came to the United States. I finished my undergraduate at Mississippi State, and then went directly for a PhD. I got 3 years of college and a PhD all in 7 years, completing my PhD in biophysics and biochemistry at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2004. I have worked with a broad range of modalities across non-profit, government, and big pharma organizations, which puts me in an important position of understanding the biologics field very well in terms of drug product development. I'm a people person who likes to help people, and my passion is getting more women in science and making them as successful as they can be at their full capacity.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Slobodanka
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't give up. Make up your mind, trust your instincts and trust what you know, because we usually, as women, doubt our knowledge and don't speak up. So, lean in and sit on that table with the rest of them and express your thoughts.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field is understanding and communication. I think that's the first thing - when the stress level increases, the first thing that drops off is communication. We need to stay connected and understand each other's perspectives and the goals that we have, our goals, not my goal or somebody else's goal, but our goals, and work as one team. That's the most important thing working in my field because it's very, very multidisciplinary. We have people from very different parts of science, and speaking the same language sometimes is very hard because we don't think the same way. That's why we're in the team, because we look at problems from different perspectives.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I have lots of knowledge because I have worked in multiple different types of organizations - non-profit, government, and big pharma - and with a broad range of modalities, which puts me in an important position of understanding the biologics field very well. I'm a people person. I like to help people. I like to get women more to be involved in science and go through the hurdles that we as women see in the field, and achieve their goals and become better in what they do in the same way while they are performing as wives, moms, and community leaders. That's my passion - basically getting more women in science and making them as successful as they can be at their full capacity. I think it's not as much about a brand, but rather my achievements. I want people to understand what I have done in my life.
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