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<span style="font-size:medium;">Hristina Milojevic first joined University Innovation Fellows mid-way through her bachelor's degree at Union College in Schenectady, New York. There, she established U-CREATE campus-wide creativity initiative and planned the Idea Lab, a makerspace in the college's Shaffer Library, before moving to California to begin her Ph.D.</span>
<span style="font-size:medium;">Through generous sponsorship of Professor Harold Fried (now Emeritus, Entrepreneurship), Professor Shane Cotter (Bioengineering) and Dean of Studies Wendy Sternberg (now Vice President for Academic Affairs at Occidental College), Hristina joined the program that would elevate her identity beyond that of a traditional engineering student and ultimately continuously guide her choice of research interest in graduate schooland career interests.</span>
<span style="font-size:medium;">Once a UIF, Hristina surrounded herself with faculty and administrators who shared her passion for intersectionality of engineering and the liberal arts. Professor Ronald Bucinell (Mechanical Engineering), who would later become her senior thesis advisor, played a crucial project ideation role, as did Frances Maloy (Director of Schaffer Library) and Professor Erika Nelson (German Studies). Dean of First Year Students Kate Schurick helped Hristina commit to the #UIFresh initiative to integrate the UIF experience into the first year orientation activities, co-signing a letter of intent to former President Obama. Hristina is forever grateful to Humera Fasihuddin and Leticia Britos Cavagnaro for their continued help and celebration of success; from the very first UIF assignments, through grad school reference letters, and into present-day openness to collaboration.</span>
<span style="font-size:medium;">Hristina is now a 4th year Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She focuses on thinking and creativity behind engineering design. Her doctoral studies began the same year her bachelor’s degree was obtained. Hristina is an innovation and tech entrepreneurship enthusiast who, aside from design, likes to dwell in domains of user experience and fluid dynamics. At 26, she is the youngest Ph.D. candidate in her class year, speaks 5 languages and has lived in 3 different countries. Her demeanor is people-oriented, user- and team-centric, energetic, and positive reinforcement driven.</span>