The world can be more beautiful and better thanks to female engineers
06 Jan 2025
We are publishing the last, fifth announcement, in which we present the last two nominees for title of female engineer in 2024. With this, we round off a series of announcements in which we presented the life and career paths of ten female engineers, among whom we will soon - on January 16th - get one who will be in 2025 a promoter and ambassador of the engineering profession among young people, especially girls. This time we present M.Sc. Staša Velcl, a technologist in the production of medicinal substances, and physicist Dr. Urša Skerbiš Štok. The former improves people's health with her work in the field of medicines, the latter contributes to the sustainable future of the world with the development of battery technologies. Two more stories that prove that the world can be better and more beautiful thanks to female engineers.
Staša Velcl
Staša Velcl get her master's degree in chemical and pharmaceutical engineering and is currently working as an independent technologist at Krka. Her work includes control, optimization and management of processes in the production of medicinal substances. It also participates in the introduction of new products, technologies and procedures and takes care of the transfer of new technologies from pilot scale to industrial production. »At Krka, we say that the active ingredient is the heart of the medicine, « says Velcl. Through her work, she directly contributes to the development of medicines that improve people's lives.
From a young age, she was interested in science, especially mathematics and chemistry. She wanted to combine the acquired knowledge with the desire to help people. Her journey began at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology in Maribor and continued at the Technical University in Graz, where she developed nano-emulsions for targeted drugs. »I want to become a successful engineer or scientist. I want to develop new technologies and solutions that will improve people's health and quality of life, and contribute to the progress of the pharmaceutical industry with my work. «
Staša believes in the importance of mentoring and knowledge transfer. As a mathematics tutor during her academic years, she developed counselling and support skills, which she uses today, when introducing new colleagues at Krka. She tells the youth to explore different fields, not to be afraid to try new things. »You can do anything, you just have to try, « she says, emphasizing that engineering is open to anyone who is willing to put in the effort and maintain their childlike curiosity.
Urša Skerbiš Štok
Urša Skerbiš Štok is a physicist who completed her education at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of the University of Ljubljana. Today, she contributes to a sustainable future by developing battery technologies at Pipistrel Vertical Solutions. Her work includes testing battery cells and developing algorithms to predict the fullness of batteries in aviation. She describes her greatest desire with the words: »I would like to leave our Earth and the World in a better state, and I believe that the development of batteries is an important step towards decarbonizing society. «
Even as a child, she was fascinated by engineering – her favourite toys were Lego bricks and toy cars. She liked to spend her time at various workshops. The choice of physics for her study path was natural, as it allows her to understand and describe the truth with the help of mathematics. »We are never too old to learn new things. To every good challenge, you have to say: Why not? « emphasizes Skerbiš Štok, who is convinced that every mistake can be an opportunity to learn.
A career in aviation followed her doctoral research at the Jožef Stefan Institute. "Working as an engineer is the best experience of my life," she says, encouraging girls to try and overcome unfounded fears. She advises young girls to be curious and ready to accept challenges, because it is precisely the desire for new knowledge that makes a good engineer.
