Dr. Miljana Horvat

For building scientists and architects, the ability to present is a key skill—which is why Miljana Horvat makes it a priority in her classroom. Horvat breaks presenting down step-by-step for her students, from clearly stating their intent, to justifying their ideas through research and explaining their overall design. One of the most crucial parts of presenting can also be the most nerve-wracking: responding to critique and questions. “To ease their worries, I always remind my students that it’s perfectly fine if they don’t know the answer,” she says. “As long as they are willing to seek it out.”

Horvat herself has decades of experience as a presenter, both in the lecture hall and on the world stage. Since 2009, she has been involved in the International Energy Agency (IEA) where she and her counterparts collaborate to create universally-applicable solar energy guidelines. Graduate students will often accompany her to IEA meetings, and even present. “It’s an important experience for them,” she says. “After all, soon they will be the international experts.”