Marina Pavlovic

As a young child in southern Serbia, Marina Pavlovic never imagined that she’d move to the other side of the world to help get astronomy’s next groundbreaking observatory ready to capture the cosmos. Yet here she is, troubleshooting a multi-ton telescope, supporting nightly observations, and (in her free time) dreaming of climbing the highest peak on each continent: the so-called “Seven Summits.” Adventure, it seems, is just part of her DNA.

As a Summit Support Scientist for NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, Marina is part of the team ensuring that all of the hardware and software systems of this new observatory work together seamlessly. During the day, she supports engineers and mechanics on the summit while also planning the test observations that the nighttime observers will carry out. At night, she helps the observing team troubleshoot issues and check data quality as they adjust and test various settings throughout the night, all toward the goal of producing the best data possible for Rubin’s ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time starting in early 2026.

Marina grew up in Serbia under clear and dark skies, and she’s loved the stars since she was young. As soon as she learned about Polaris, the North Star, she asked her father whether there were also South, East, and West stars — to which he responded, “Oh, I have no idea, you have to do astronomy to know that.” After completing a physics PhD in Serbia, Marina shifted into software development, and she found herself working with one of Rubin’s international contributing partners who provide expertise, hardware, or software to Rubin in exchange for access to Rubin’s data. This led to an opportunity to work at Rubin in Chile for three months initially, which extended to six months, and finally into her current full-time position.

In her free time, Marina loves music, art, and nature. In addition to playing flute and piano, she enjoys painting, especially the forested landscapes of Serbia that she’s missed since moving to the desert-like environment of northern Chile. She also loves hiking, and even in the desert she finds trails to explore whenever she can while dreaming of completing the Seven Summits someday.

For any aspiring scientists or engineers out there, Marina says, “I would just say, go for it. Just take a leap of faith and don't worry. And if it makes you smile, you should do it.” There’s something to be said for pursuing your dreams and following what excites you — that’s the sort of mentality that led Marina to her role with Rubin!

Lightning round Q&A: Get to know Marina better!

What’s a food you could eat for a week straight?
My grandma’s stuffed peppers, with three kinds of meat and a blend of Serbian spices.

What fictional universe would you live in?
Gallifrey, from Doctor Who.

What would you do with extra hours if you didn’t need to sleep?
Train to hike the Seven Summits!

What’s your most-used emoji?
👀 (watching carefully) for daily use, 🤦‍♀️ (facepalm) for minor nighttime mishaps.