Abstract: I have been or worked in academia my entire life, and as far as working in education goes, I have followed my parents. However, my parent's background (teachers of history and psychology, respectively, in Croatia) only went so far in guiding me through graduate school in applied math and then research/teaching in fluid flow in soils and rocks (in a petroleum engineering department) in the United States. I have learned to tune into my inner compass and emotional state, and to find a village of support of my endeavors. While always planning, I also learned to throw away my plan and explore unconventional options that emerged both in my professional and private life. It was hard to know at the time of doing them that they were right, but in hindsight, I see a clear path of growth. I hope my story, and any questions I answer, help the audience in finding theirs.
Bio: Maša Prodanović is a Frank W. Jessen Professor in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (PGE), The University of Texas at Austin. She is an applied mathematician-turned-engineer and has expertise in direct simulation of flow and particulate transport in porous and fractured media, porous media characterization especially based on 2D and 3D images of rock microstructure, unconventional resources and data curation. She is a recipient of multiple awards such as InterPore Medal for Porous Media Research in 2022, SPE Distinguished Member Award in 2021, EAGE Alfred Wegener Award in 2021, SPE Formation Evaluation regional award for development of Digital Rocks Portal in 2019, Texas 10 (top faculty) and Stony Brook 40 Under Forty awards in 2017, SPE Faculty Innovative Teaching Award in 2014 and Interpore Procter & Gamble Research Award for Porous Media Research in 2014. She was elected Interpore Society Council member & SIAM Geosciences Program Director 2021-23.