Operations Director, Mines/NLR Advanced Energy Systems Program

Dr. Kosanovich has served as the director of the AES program for over a year. She joined the team in February of 2025 and has already left her mark on the AES community. Dr. Kosanovich has proven her dedication to the well-being of the program and its students throughout her year with us. In this interview, she will share more about herself and why she chose Mines.

Where did you grow up?

“I grew up all over the world. My dad was a career military officer, I lived in Germany, Georgia, Upstate New York, Hawaii and came to college in Colorado. I have called CO home for 35 years now. “

Please summarize your educational background.

“I did my undergraduate degree at Colorado State University in Merchandising and Textile Science. Out of undergrad I wanted to be a buyer for the ski industry specializing in Gore-Tex textiles. I was excited to work with the fabric as it was just starting to become popular and being used more by ski wear manufactures.”

“I did my master’s degree at the University of Denver in Higher Education Student Development with an emphasis on counseling and I did my PhD in Higher Education Leadership with a cognate in human resource development. My dissertation is titled “Imparts of outcomes-based funding on resource allocation: A case study of senior administrators in Colorado”. Basically, I like people, education, and the impacts of funding and the intersection of how one impacts the other.”

How did you find yourself in education?

“After undergrad I worked in my field for six years and really enjoyed what I was doing in the merchandising industry. However, I got to a point in my career that I either needed to move to New York or LA to continue advancing in the field. After graduation I volunteered and mentored college students, and I found real joy in the work. I decided to apply to graduate school and change my career path to continue my work in higher education. The rest is history. I graduated with my master’s degree, and I stayed in the field and have had various roles across institutions but almost always working with students in one form or another. “

What did you do, in academia or industry, before coming to Mines?

“Before Mines I worked at the University of Denver for over 20 years and Clemson for 3 years while we lived in SC for my husband’s job. Across my career I have done everything from being an assistant director in alumni relations, to being a budget officer for Executive Education in the Business School, to managing programs for all incoming first year undergraduate students. I am grateful my career has been full of fantastic opportunities and colleagues. I would be remis not to mention my role as a working mom is a huge pride point for me. “

What brought you to Mines?

“What brought me to Mines was specifically this position with the AES program. It combines all the pieces of what I enjoy in my profession, and I get to work with extremely talented high achieving students. I hope to contribute to the AES program a steady encouraging presence, as well as operational efficiency. I am a big cheerleader and hope that it is always helpful to speak with me, especially if you are having life questioning moment or if you just can’t find the form you need to fill out to graduate. 🙂 “

What do you think makes AES stand out compared to other graduate programs? How does this make AES grads stand out in the field?

“I believe the interdisciplinary approach of the AES program is the best educational graduate structure from a pedagogical perspective. The AES program is an outstanding example of how one builds on an in-depth STEM undergraduate degree with foundational knowledge to then you get to expand your knowledge and perspective across disciplines to tackle real world problems. It broadens your knowledge scope in all the best ways by working with your peers (and mentors) who bring different perspectives and thus you learn to work together through research and discovery. Win/Win in my book. An AES graduate stands out in the field because they understand how business and policy shape the energy industry as a whole. Graduates have a world perspective on current and future challenges and where their skill set will be needed.”

What is something about you that may surprise students?

“Hard question let’s see. I have had some extraordinary and unbelievable life experiences, so it is hard to pick just one. One I am most proud of is being a bone marrow doner. I was on the Be the Match registry and was called because I am a perfect genetic match to a stranger in Europe. I donated a liter of my bone marrow through surgery to help save her life. The number one question I get asked when people find out is, would I do it again? YES, I absolutely would, if I can help someone I do. “