Audra Curry Yovanovich, a 2004 chemistry alumna of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, credits a speech given at new student orientation for profoundly shaping her perspective on accepting new challenges throughout her career, as Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology reported. During the orientation, then-President Sam Hulbert addressed incoming students, detailing their impressive academic achievements, including the high number of valedictorians, salutatorians, and those with outstanding GPAs, SAT scores, and advanced placement credits.
However, Yovanovich remembers Hulbert concluding his praise with a direct caveat: "Somebody has to be at the bottom." This statement, she told Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, served as "kind of a wake-up call" for her. It helped her foster a sense of resiliency, allowing her to accept that she might not always be the best at a particular task, and that this was an acceptable outcome, provided she could excel in other areas.
This insight proved invaluable as Yovanovich navigated difficult concepts and decisions during her time at Rose-Hulman. She recalled struggling in her Calculus III class despite dedicating many hours to extra study. Through this experience, she learned to accept that her desired outcome might not always materialize, but the effort to try remained essential. Her overall experience at Rose-Hulman, she told the institution, "really pushed me to be better." This foundation instilled in her the confidence to tackle challenging endeavors, understanding that immediate success might not occur, or that greater effort might be required, but a solution would eventually be found.
Yovanovich's willingness to embrace difficult tasks and accept the risk of potential failure to achieve her goals has yielded significant returns in her professional life. She began her career as a forensic scientist with the Indiana State Police, where she performed controlled substances analysis. She indicated that she initially knew nothing about this role or the community where it was located. She served in this capacity for 17 years, during which time she also earned a master’s degree in forensic science from Purdue University in Indianapolis.
Seeking a new challenge, Yovanovich transitioned into a different field. Today, she holds the position of associate director of characterization for Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company. In this role, she oversees a team of chemists responsible for ensuring the consistent quality of various medicines. Her primary motivation, she told Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, is to learn something new continuously. She expressed a desire to avoid the comfort of routine, actively cultivating a comfort with not knowing all the answers from an early stage in her development. Yovanovich is married to Alex Yovanovich, a 2002 mechanical engineering alumnus of Rose-Hulman.