Two of our graduates, Nuša Bremec and Rebeka Danica Pacek, have been nominated for this year’s Female Engineer of the Year award. Their stories offer a fascinating insight into the diverse, creative and socially important nature of mechanical engineering, ranging from toolmaking and CNC technologies to the development of pharmaceutical devices.
Nuša Bremec works as a technologist in the tool shop, where she is responsible for preparing the technology for manufacturing plastic injection moulding tools. Her work also includes CNC programming and water-jet erosion. She initiated the Kavica (coffee) meetings for female engineers in the Posočje region, and writes reviews of natural science books for publishers and social networks. She is particularly proud of her achievement in establishing a technical club at a local elementary school, which has inspired children to pursue technical careers for the past five years.
“I want girls to see that science is not boring or difficult, but creative and fun, with lots of challenges,” says Nuša. “Engineering combines imagination and knowledge, and it is there that solutions are born which can change the world.”
Nuša Bremec (Photo: Andrej Križ for Mediade)
Rebeka Danica Pacek, who holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, is employed as a design engineer. She develops ultrasonic washing devices for industrial and pharmaceutical use. She is particularly proud of her ultrasonic cleaning device project, which is currently being used to manufacture diabetes medication. She began her career with the company as a scholarship holder and, after completing her Master’s degree, took on the role of Product Manager.
She wants to show young girls that engineering offers endless possibilities. “Mechanical engineering is like Lego for grown-ups,” she says. “You can build something real and useful from an idea – something that changes the world.”
Rebeka Danica Pacek (Photo: Andrej Križ for Mediade)
In recent years, the title of the Female Engineer of the Year has been awarded several times to female graduates of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at UL
The Female Engineer of the Year award increases the visibility of female engineers and demonstrates the diversity, creativity and social importance of engineering careers through their personal stories. Every year, 10 female nominees are presented to the public. The selection process also considers the nominees’ potential to serve as role models and sources of inspiration for younger generations.
In recent years, the title of the Female Engineer of the Year has been awarded several times to female graduates of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at UL: Rosana Kolar (Female Engineer of the Year 2022), an aircraft mechanic; Ljupka Vrteva (Female Engineer of the Year 2023), a development engineer specialising in the heating, ventilation and cooling of buildings, as well as a project manager for solar power plants; and Rebeka Kropivšek Leskovar (Female Engineer of the Year 2024), who has dedicated her career to the development of human-centred technologies.
We are proud that our graduates frequently feature in the Female Engineer of the Year project’s stories. We are therefore delighted to keep our fingers crossed for both female nominees this year and to see how the knowledge gained at UL FME is being used to create boundary-pushing solutions.