About us

Boutique Academia is a science and math jewelry company located in the lovely Pacific Northwest. Our studio is in Eugene, Oregon, just down the road from the University of Oregon. We are woman owned and run, with a team of three of us. 

In the winter, while the rain patters on our cozy studio roof, we pack up your holiday gift orders and feel a little like science-gift elves. We love imagining the surprise of STEM enthusiasts as they open their gift boxes, and whenever we get a particularly nice review or email, we read it aloud to the team.

Between the three of us, we enjoy math, science, astronomy, music, art, baking, and gardening. Most of all, we have a strong commitment to our vision of filling the world with beauty and knowledge.

We care a lot about our work and about customer satisfaction, and we thank you in advance for trusting us. Buying online IS most certainly an act of trust, and we assure you that we are real people, that every single review on our website is legitimate, and that we stand behind our products 100%.

We have been retailing online since 2010 and supplying museum gift shops and bookstores since 2011, and would love to have your business!

From our Founder

Hi! I'm Maile Urbancic, founder of Boutique Academia. My background is in math, educational psychology, and community organizing. I founded Boutique Academia in November of 2010, at the forefront of the STEM jewelry movement. Some years ago I published a Medium article about our origin story. I wrote about my own experience as a math major and how strongly I felt about fighting subtle bias against women STEM and stereotype threat. You can read the article here if you are interested.

Back in 2010, the idea of science and math themed jewelry was very fringe. Over the past decade, the concept has gained momentum, with an outpouring of creativity at the intersection of STEM themes and aesthetics. It's been fascinating and wonderful to watch it happen! 

I love collaborating with bloggers, journalists, and science communicators! Just send me an email at maile@boutiqueacademia.com and let's talk. I've also had pieces featured in various television shows, including Tomorrow's World Today, The Big Bang Theory and others. If you're a costume designer looking for something science-perfect for your cast, contact me!

I'm also a big believer in community giving, so we support many causes related to STEM education. Boutique Academia has created fundraisers for FIRST robotics teams, open-source computer labs, crisis intervention, hygiene initiatives to keep girls in school, and The Association of Presidential Awardees in Science Teaching. In 2017 we sponsored the regional fair pin exchange at the New York City Science and Engineering Fair. We also regularly donate pieces for school auctions, STEM club fundraisers, and organizations like the Okie-Tex Star Party and the Space Gala through Reinvented Magazine.

If you are involved in organizing a fundraiser or raffle and you think our jewelry would be a popular item, email me!

If you'd like to keep up with new products and hear about coupons, giveaways, etc then sign up for our newsletter and join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest. Also, if you're on Medium, I'll occasionally blog when inspiration strikes.

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