IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2010 - 5

homework, so when I started school it
was a breeze," she says. "I loved school
and had a natural curiosity and interest in sciences, which was inherited
from my father, but I also loved reading
and arts, which was inherited from my
mother." Pantic says she wrote poems
in both grade school and high school
and received a few regional and national
awards for her writing. She was also very
successful in regional and national math
and physics competitions. "I was always a
high-achiever, a top-performing and top
ranked student in my grade school, high
school, and university," she says. "Looking back, I see two big lessons here-the
importance of parental involvement and
an appreciation of education."
This parental involvement stirred in
Pantic a desire to become an engineer.
"When I was about seven years old, my
father was pursuing his master's degree
in electrical engineering. For his thesis
he built a radio, with vacuum tubes, the
top-notch technology at the time, and
he let me help here and there," Pantic says. "I was so mesmerized by this
process-how putting all these components together can produce voice and
music-that I decided to be an electrical engineer. This just shows how
important role models and hands-on
experience are for stimulating interest
in science, technology, engineering, and
math careers. And I always hear from
my female engineering and technology
students that they had role models-a
family member, relative, or family friend
who's an engineer."
After Pantic earned her bachelor's,
master's, and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering from the University
of Nis in Serbia, she started working at
the university as an assistant and then
was promoted to associate professor. In
1984, she came to the United States on
a Fulbright Fellowship for postdoctoral research. She then spent four years
at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign pursuing top-notch research,
which was where, in 1988, her son was
born. In 1989, Pantic accepted a faculty
position at SFSU. "I had a great 12-year
run there while balancing my university
duties with spending quality time with

my son," she says. Pantic adds that she
panies or prospective donors, athletic
always wanted to follow in her father's
competitions, or committee meetings.
footsteps and became a university proPantic calls her Blackberry her "best
fessor devoted to teaching and
friend." "My days are pretty long,
research. She says her career
very often between 12-14
path changed in 1997
hours, but the passion
"The
when she was elected to
for my job helps me
higher you go in
the position of director
take these long days
of the SFSU School of
in stride."
the administrative
Engineering.
Aside from work,
ranks, the more
"I was compelled
Pantic likes to read
positive impact
to take on this adminbooks and loves to
you can make on
istrative responsibility
dance. "I go to our
students' lives."
to resolve the problems
Serbian church for
that the school was facline dancing. It's a great
ing-tough reaccreditation
aerobic exercise. I also
visit, decreasing enrollment, and
enjoy ballroom dancing from
budget cuts," Pantic explains. "As I helped
time to time."
successfully overcome these issues, I realPantic tells other young women conized that we women, especially women
sidering an engineering education to
engineers, are problem solvers no matter
"believe in yourself and find a mentor."
if we are doing a research project or man"The engineering profession makes a
aging faculty, staff, and students, and that
tremendous difference in improving the
academic administration requires crelives of others and making the world a
ativity and entrepreneurship. Moreover,
better place to live-be part of it."
the higher you go in the administrative
In the upcoming year, Pantic wants
ranks, the more positive impact you can
to start a new master's of science in
make on students' lives."
construction management, develop susAfter her four-year deanship at UTSA,
tainable business models for new engiin 1995 she was appointed as president
neering programs, and improve life-long
of Wentworth. "I admire Wentworth's
learning programs.
educational model-high-quality prac-Nancy Salim
tical programs that lead to exciting
and rewarding careers in engineering,
technology, design, and management,"
she says. "Our graduates are very much
sought after by employers for their outstanding technical skills, strong work
Only 20, Jain eyes teaching
ethic, and entrepreneurial spirit."
and mentoring
Despite all the moves, Pantic says
her son is an integral part of her profesThere are many medical students in
sional success. "He has been my biggest
the United States. In addition to the
supporter and cheerleader. He endured
demanding pursuit of a specialty, some
all our moves without complaints
of those students spend their time tryand because he has always been such
ing to understand the business side of
a responsible child and a great young
medicine; others who benefitted from
man, it has been possible for me to
mentorship work hard to help others
devote sufficient time to my career," she
follow in their footsteps. Very few mansays. "So, another important lesson here
age to do both. Monica Jain is barely old
is about the balance between career and
enough to vote, but she is doing it all.
family life."
After skipping several grades throughA typical day for Pantic consists of
out school, Jain entered Boston Univermany back-to-back meetings or events,
sity as a freshman at age 14. During her
from open forum with students, meetings
with faculty or staff, visits with comDigital Object Identifier 10.1109/MWIE.2010.936189

Youth Is Served

JUNE 2010

IEEE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2010