Marquis Who's Who Millennium Magazine

346 MILLENNIUM R osalia (Natasi) Scripa is the youngest of three girls born to Rosario and Bridget Natasi, who immigrated to America from Italy. Dr. Scripa attended Aflred University and with a strong passion for math hoping to someday teach it in high school. After attending an engineering open house at the School of Engineering at Alfred, she immediately knew that the engineering field is where she should be. She linked with a mentor in the engineering programwho aided her in starting her career. However, her rise to success was no easy one. Obtaining a position in the engineering field as a woman in the 1960’s proved to be difficult, so she sought the advice of a mentor, who encouraged her to attend Pennsylvania State University, subsequently earning a Master of Science in ceramic engineering. While at Penn State, she attended a seminar given by a professor from the University of Florida on biomaterials, with a focus on ceramic implant materials. Interested in what was being presented, she approached the professor, who offered her a fellowship on a grant. After completing her master’s degree at Penn State, she moved to Florida to pursue her new endeavors. She worked on biomaterials for some time before changing her research focus to the study of electronic materials, earning a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering. She made a home for herself at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where she was able to combine both teaching and research. During her tenure at UAB, she held many leadership positions. A highlight of her career was spending one year at NASA Headquarters inWashington D.C., where she worked as an advisor to the Discipline Scientist for Materials Science, Microgravity Science and Applications Division. Dr. Scripa is working with colleagues at the University of Alabama Birmingham, Auburn University, and the University of Tennessee on a patent that currently has a patent-pending status. She is excited that her innovation may someday help to save lives and looks forward to staying active in the field and encouraging women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Rosalia Scripa, Ph.D., P.E. Engineering Educator, Researcher University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL