Tamara Pavasovic

My name is Tamara Pavasovic, and I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. at Harvard University. I received my B.A. in International Studies from Allegheny College in 2002, with the thesis “Ethnicity and Religion in Bosnia: Islamic Influence during the 1992-1995 War.” After college, I worked at the Institute of International Finance in Washington DC, before obtaining my M.A. degree in the Political Science department from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in 2003. At Syracuse, I served as a teaching assistant for American Government and International Relations courses, as well as an instructor for Political Argument and Reasoning. My graduate work deals mostly with issues of ethnicity and religion, ethnic violence and nationalism, collective memory and identity, and political socialization, and focuses on the Balkan area. My M.A. thesis at Syracuse, “Reconstructing Ethnic Identity in Serbia: Ethno-Nationalist Socialization through Textbooks,” examined how history textbooks impacted ethnicity transformation dynamics from 1974 to 2002. I followed up this work with a generational analysis study, where I examined whether the basic attitudes and worldviews Serbian individuals were socialized into during their formative years remained mostly constant throughout their lives and during the turmoil in the 1990s. At Harvard, I’m currently working on my qualifying paper, on the topic of ethnic stereotypes in children.

Vladimir Petrovic

My name is Vladimir Petrovic and I am a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I was born in Novi Sad and I graduated from the University of Belgrade, Department of Molecular Biology and Physiology. Prior to coming to U.S. I also studied at the University of Padova in Italy, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences where I was involved in a project aimed at developing methods for in vivo transfections. Currently I am a student in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics graduate program at UIC. My research is focused on the mechanism regulating expression of the FoxM1 transcription factor, a protein that is critical for proliferation of cancer cells. This project is an integral part of the research program conducted in Dr. Costa's laboratory and will have implications on therapy for treatment of human liver cancer.

Predrag Raosavljevic

My name is Predrag Raosavljević and I was born in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. I graduated from Banja Luka Law School in 2001 and received Dragomir Nikolich Charitable Trust Award in 2004. This led me to continuation of my studies and I obtained Master of Law degree at Columbia University in New York City in 2005. My academic work concentrated on the International and Comparative Criminal Law and research on the Law of Contracts. I am currently employed as an Attache for diplomatic affairs at the International Committee of the Red Cross, in Geneva. My work involves establishing contacts with international organizations and state representatives, creating and attending diplomatic opportunities abroad and providing support for humanitarian operations in the field. Besides my work, I am using my stay in Suisse Romande to improve my French and knowledge of international relations in general. My future career is likely to be focused on legal or political affairs.

Milan Bradonjic

I am a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering Department,
University of California, Los Angeles, GPA 4.00; minor theoretical
computer science. My research interest is: Random Graph Theory and
Game Theory, ie, Auctions Theory, Reputation Management, Mechanism
Design; Analysis of the Web, Large/Complex networks. I graduated at the School of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade, Serbia, and received the Fond Sreten Nedeljkovic Award, given to the best student at the Department. During my high school education, and also primary school as well as university study, I won many competitions in Mathematics and
Physics, especially in Mathematics. I have been fortunate to
attend Mathematics Academy High School, Belgrade, Serbia, the
school for the most gifted people in the natural sciences.

Ana Petrovic

My name is Ana Petrović and I am doing a Ph.D. at the Department of Geosciences, University of Houston, TX. My research is based on combined application of remote sensing (satellite images), GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and geochemistry in solving different geologic problems- more specifically I’m detecting, mapping, and analyzing rock alterations that are caused by hydrocarbon seepages at several different locations in the United States. Apart from research, I also work as a teaching assistant at the University of Houston. I received my B.S. degree from the Faculty of Mining and Geology in Belgrade, Serbia in 2004, and M.S. degree from the University of Houston, TX, in 2006. I was born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, but now I live in Houston, TX.

My name is Vesna Pavlovic, and I am completing my MFA degree in Visual Arts at Columbia University in New York. My concentration is photography. I’ve graduated with a degree in cinematography studies from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade. In my photographs and installations, I look into visual representations behind different groups in society, and while doing so, question the representation of the photographic medium itself. Issues of taste, desire and expectation, friction of performance, set in different contexts, are prevailing themes in my work. I have exhibited widely, including solo shows at the Museum of History of Yugoslavia in Belgrade and at Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA. My work has been featured in group exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, Photographers’ Gallery in London, Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, Akademie der Bildenen Kunste in Vienna, Center for Contemporary Art in Vilnius, and Palau de la Verreina in Barcelona. I was the award winner at the 40th October Salon in Belgrade, in 2001, for my photographic series Herzlich Willkommen Im Hotel Hyatt Belgrad, April 1999. I have closely cooperated with the peace activist group Women in Black, founded in 1991.

Milica Markovic

My name is Milica Markovic and I am a fourth year MD student at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. I will be graduating in May 2007, and am currently interviewing for residency training programs in Anesthesiology. I received my B.S. degree in Psychology at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont. During medical school, my research focus has been primarily related to HIV therapy, and I have also worked on studies in Otolaryngology. My other interests are women’s health, human rights, and domestic violence issues. As a part of International Health Committee, I had an opportunity to invite Dr. Snezana Simic, professor of Public Health at Belgrade University and advisor to Serbian Minister of Health to speak at Vanderbilt’s Medical and Nursing School about Serbian healthcare system in transition. I also worked in Institute of Microbiology at the University of Genoa in Italy and at the Laboratory of Muscle Disease Molecular Biochemistry at Columbia University.

Tonina Dumic

I completed an undergraduate degree in economics and statistics at the University of Toronto, concentrating mostly in the area of development economics. Upon graduation, I received a stipend from the Centre for Russian and Eastern European Studies for an internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Sofia, Bulgaria. Following completion of my internship, I embarked on the voluntary practice in International Council of Voluntary Agencies, assisting the refugees and internally displaced persons in Kosovo. Consequently, I worked as an auditor with Deloitte&Touche Serbia, focusing on providing financial services to large and medium size companies.
Currently, I am pursuing my Masters in Public Administration at Columbia University, concentrating my studies in Economic and Political Development, and Environmental Policy. I am interested in exploring more real "development" challenges that remain in the Eastern Europe, particularly Serbia, as well as the other parts of the world.

Isidora Jovanovic

My name is Isidora Jovanovich. I\'m currently at my first year of MM studies at Northwestern University School of Music, Evanston, Illinois. My major is piano performance. I study in the studio of Dr James Giles. My major current project is my solo recital which will take place in May in Lutkin Hall at Northwestern University. I will perform music of Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy and Tchaikovsky. My professional goals are solo performance, chamber music, vocal accompanying and teaching. I\'m especially interested in music of the twentieth century and the music of Serbian composers which I have successfully performed during my undergraduate studies.

I\'ve gained my Bachelor of Arts degree in Novi Sad, Serbia – in the studio of Dr Dorian Leljak. Throughout my formal education I\'ve performed throughout Serbia and won several prizes at domestic and international competitions. I\'ve attended master classes of internationally recognized pianists such as Paul Gould, Ian Jones, Orazio Maione, Eugen Indjic and Ratimir Martinovic.

Aleksandra Vranic

I completed a third year of High school (eleventh grade) back in Belgrade, and the final year in Boston, thus graduating. A year after I started my Bachelors studies at Wheelock College in Boston and have completed double majors in psychology and theatre earning both BS and BA. At the same school I am currently completing my Masters degree in Language and Literacy Studies. Since I was very much involved in the art world all around, I was cast or have directed and produced many plays in mine and/or other colleges and schools, both in the professional and amateur theatre. My field of study and interest being creativity, I achieved my personal best outside of the theatre world by publishing one story while in High School and a poem recently in a Noble House collection in category “Songs of Honor”, New York. Other than attending college, I do occasional interpreting work, since am a certified translator. This is done in a local refugee organization and an Eye and Ear infirmary of Boston for parents with blind children from different areas of former Yugoslavia. Since my field of study is language, my future career might be focused on the ESL and ELL community, whether teaching or working within the organizations in some other way.

Djordje Nikolic

My name is Djordje Nikolic and I received my BS degree in Accounting (minor in finance) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I also attended graduate UTK MACC program and received two job offers in the USA - one from Deloitte and another one from KPMG (2 of Big 4 firms). However, due to some important family reasons, I decided to come back to Serbia. Since September 2004, I worked for BDO office in Belgrade. I participated in numerous audit engagements and creation of various financial due diligence projects for the sake of privatization and M&A of companies (from versatile industries) and banks throughout the region. In the next 8 months, I will be working at the University of Belgrade, since I am fulfilling my civil military service obligation.

Dejan Stojakovic

My name is Dejan Stojakovic and I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. My professional and academic interests are in the field of physical and mechanical metallurgy. My area of research is in the physics of microstructure evolution during thermo-mechanical processing of metallic materials. Apart from doing research, I am also involved in teaching. Last year I received the award for The Best Teaching Assistant at Drexel thanks to my students who nominated me for the award. Besides research and teaching I am actively involved in the Graduate Students Network at our department as the chairperson for the sports committee.
Prior to coming to Drexel, I had received a B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering at University of Novi Sad, Serbia. After receiving my B.Sc. degree I was offered a position of a teaching and research assistant in the Laboratory of Materials in the Department of Manufacturing. During the two years that I spent at The College of Engineering in Novi Sad, I participated in several conferences in Serbia as well as in Romania and Germany.