NEWS
NORMAN, Okla. – In a tower simulation lab at the University of Oklahoma, Jovana Dragovic speaks in calm, precise instructions as aircraft line up on a virtual runway. Every call matters. Every second counts. It’s a high-pressure environment – one she has prepared for since the fifth grade.
Now, four years after arriving at OU as an aviation major, Dragovic is graduating with three degrees, combining aviation, business and technology into a focused path toward a career in air traffic control.
This month, Dragovic will earn a Bachelor of Science in aviation (air traffic management) along with two Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in management information systems and business management.
Dragovic’s path wasn’t planned from the beginning. It evolved as she progressed through OU’s School of Aviation and gained exposure to the industry's business side.
“I came to OU officially as an aviation major,” she said. “But once I got into analytical business courses, I became really interested in how data drives how organizations operate behind the scenes.”
That curiosity led Dragovic to expand her studies, eventually turning what began as a business minor into a second and third major.
The workload was intense. For multiple semesters, Dragovic carried course loads of up to 24 credit hours, balancing three distinct academic disciplines.
“The hardest part was honestly being three different people at the same time,” she said. “Each major challenged me in a completely different way.”
Aviation requires precision and fast decision-making. Management information systems demand technical skills such as coding and data analysis. Business management pushes students to think conceptually and strategically. Together, they built the foundation for a career in air traffic control, a field responsible for safely managing more than 45,000 flights each day in the United States.
Dragovic has already received a temporary offer from the Federal Aviation Administration and is preparing for the final stages of evaluation, including simulation performance testing.
“Air traffic control is step one,” she said. “I want to get my foot in the door, get hands-on experience and then see where it takes me.”
Dragovic’s long-term options are broad, from leadership roles within the FAA to opportunities in corporate or commercial aviation.
Her connection to aviation began long before college. Her father is a commercial pilot, and she grew up with early exposure to the industry.
“I remember sitting in the drop-off line in fifth grade and saying, ‘I think I’ll be an air traffic controller,’” she said. “And I’ve stuck with it ever since.”
At OU, Dragovic’s experiences came together most clearly in the tower simulation labs.
“The simulation labs were the most defining part of my experience,” she said. “That’s when everything finally comes together. You’re applying what you’ve learned, making quick decisions and staying calm under pressure.”
Outside the classroom, Dragovic also worked at OU’s Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center, contributing to a research project analyzing political advertising that uses artificial intelligence, in collaboration with Harvard University.
The work involved testing and refining AI systems while comparing machine-generated outputs to human analysis. The experience reinforced her interest in data and systems, she said.
It also underscores something she believes is essential across disciplines: attention to detail.
“Attention to detail is something that’s really overlooked,” Dragovic said. “But in fields like aviation, it’s everything.”
That mindset and her background have shaped her path.
A resident of Trophy Club, Texas, Dragovic comes from a Serbian family and spent much of her childhood living abroad, including in Dubai. She speaks multiple languages and credits her international upbringing with shaping how she communicates and adapts.
Dragovic returns to Serbia regularly and considers her heritage central to who she is.
“This is who I am,” she said.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
In a tower simulation lab at the University of Oklahoma, Jovana Dragovic speaks in calm, precise instructions as aircraft line up on a virtual runway. Every call matters. Every second counts. It’s a high-pressure environment – one she has prepared for since the fifth grade.
Last month, April Moreno-Ward successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in geophysics, capping a journey that began improbably with a degree in classics. She is a seismic geomorphologist specializing in deep-water channel systems and machine learning applications for subsurface visualization.
This month, alumnus Emmy Wildermuth returns to OU not as a student, but as a professional dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. She will perform on May 10 at the Elsie C. Brackett Theatre as part of a multi-day residency that connects students and the community with professional dance.
