An Interview With Milena Vujanovic
- Vanshika Dhyani
- Dec 21, 2020
- 5 min read
If you ask Milena to describe herself in one word, she will say "storyteller." Since she was a young girl, Milena was telling stories. It is just that now these stories are mostly about physics. Milena is a self-proclaimed nerd, who besides doing antimatter research, spends time helping students with their applications to different internships and student positions at CERN. In the company of her loyal sidekick, cat Tau D.K., Milena joined for this interview to share her experience of being a (use what seem appropriate to you : physicist, "female leaders in the fields of Physics", etc.; wasn't sure what would be the best).
"No matter how much I worked or what I achieved, I was constantly told I cannot be a physicist. Many times, I wanted to give up and do something more “girl-like”. In those moments, I would find inspiration in amazing female scientists like Emmy Noether or Marie Curie, who no matter what the world told them, stood up for themselves and did what they were passionate about. Their actions not only brought outstanding discoveries but they paved the way to science and research for all girls today. Now, it is up our generation to live up to their legacy and leave no doubt that girls can do science too." And probably this part is my favourite quote that I ever said "Now, it is up our generation to live up to their legacy and leave no doubt that girls can do science too."
What inspires you?
Thank you so much for such a lovely introduction and for inviting me to do this interview. I am truly honoured! What inspires me? Well, that's an easy, but very cheesy answer. :) The world and everything about it inspires me. Truly, one thing I do not lack is inspiration, as I can easily find it in the simplest of things that surround me.
What did you want to be when you were younger?
That changed all the time, to be honest. The thing that was a constant is that I never said I wanted to be is a scientist. How funny, right? Being a scientist never crossed my mind. Not even once, until I turned 16.
Which subjects did you enjoy at school?
Oh, I loved every subject! Even before learning to read, I loved books and libraries. I just love learning. It is one of my favourite things in the world, really. One thing though, I was never able to make myself study things that had no value to me. That is why in school, I only learned things I found interesting, or I thought it might be useful to now in the future.
What would you like to tell your younger self?
Everything will turn out just fine.
Why did you choose STEM?
This choice was quite unexpected to all, especially my family, who never saw me as a scientist. When I was sixteen, I read a news article that said, "by increasing the proton's energy, you can increase its mass." I thought that was the biggest lie I have ever read, and it upset me very much. It did not make any sense to me whatsoever. And so I decided to prove that newspapers lied. It turned out that I was trying to prove that the most famous physics equation (E=mc^2), was wrong. Somewhere in the search for the right answer, I fell in love with physics and CERN. When the time came to chose the university, I was thinking between philosophy and physics. Then one day, I realised that physics would allow me to understand how nature works on the most fundamental level, and that idea captivated me completely. The funny thing is that the more I learned about physics, the more I saw a connection with philosophy and physics. This realisation and the need to find the answers to the big questions has kept me motivated over the years and eventually led me to study antimatter and the beginning of the Universe.
How important is it for you to stand out?
I am timid by nature, so I avoid doing things that attract attention or would single me out. It sometimes happens that I would stand out for some reason, and those are not very pleasant moments for me. Having a blog and social media platform thus seems like a contradiction. It is especially so when you add that I don't like being in front of the camera, and Instagram is all about the pictures. :) This is because I accidentally realised that I could help other students. I figured a little bit of my discomfort could make a massive difference to somebody else. And so, I made a blog and Instagram account. What I gain in return is a fantastic community of people who enjoy my outbursts of geekiness. :D
What difficulties did you face in the industry, as a woman?
Uf, I had so many mostly related to good, old sexism. However, regardless of what happened, I did not give up. Ever. Along the way, I found people, mentors and friends, whose voices are louder than those of all the other people who try to belittle or sabotage my scientific journey.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female scientists?
This is what I always say:
(1) Try, try, and try. You will not always succeed at first, and that is ok. Just try again. If you try enough times, you will, without a doubt, succeed.
(2) Do not be afraid to admit that you do not know something – admitting this will take you far. Don’t judge someone that doesn’t know something you’ve already had a chance to learn. Instead, help them.
(3) Keep asking questions. Always.
(4) If things break, that is fine! That is how you learn, so don’t stress about it.
(5) Physics is fun, so have fun doing it!
"No matter how much I worked or what I achieved, I was constantly told I cannot be a physicist. Many times, I wanted to give up and do something more 'girl-like'. In those moments, I would find inspiration in amazing female scientists like Emmy Noether or Marie Curie, who no matter what the world told them, stood up for themselves and did what they were passionate about. Their actions not only brought outstanding discoveries but they paved the way to science and research for all girls today. Now, it is up our generation to live up to their legacy and leave no doubt that girls can do science too."
"Now, it is up our generation to live up to their legacy and leave no doubt that girls can do science too."
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