The prestigious award recognizes educators who have made significant and lasting contributions to mechanical engineering education.
In the citation, ASME cites Milanovic for “reimagining mechanical engineering education through simulation-rich learning, reshaping curricula to reflect real-world complexity, and mentoring a generation of engineers with clarity, creativity, and purpose.”
A member of the UHart faculty since 2001, Milanovic is nationally recognized for innovative teaching strategies to better prepare students for today’s engineering challenges. Her integration of inquiry-based learning with professional software tools has reshaped core courses and expanded students’ exposure to real-world problem-solving.
Milanovic has authored more than 100 scholarly contributions, including NASA technical reports, peer-reviewed articles, and conference papers. Her efforts have been supported by NASA, the World Bank, the U.S. Army, and the Connecticut Space Grant Consortium.
Beyond her classroom and curricular innovations, Milanovic is an ASME Fellow and serves on the ASME Fluids Engineering Division Executive Committee. She co-chairs the Advances in Fluids Engineering Education track at ASME’s annual summer meeting, a leading national forum for curriculum innovation.
A dedicated mentor, Milanovic has supervised more than 80 undergraduate projects, many resulting in publications, presentations, and professional recognition. Her excellence has been recognized through the ASEE Northeast Outstanding Teaching Award, the Connecticut Technology Council Women of Innovation Award, multiple NASA Faculty Fellowships, and UHart’s Larsen and Bent Awards.
She also contributes to K–12 STEM initiatives as a longstanding member of the Simsbury High School Engineering Advisory Board.