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Welcome back! WhatÌýareÌýyou looking forwardÌýto most about returning to ONG?

Thank you!ÌýI am definitely looking forward to an inspiring environment where ideas can be born, shapedÌýand re-shaped through constructive discussion, to be finallyÌýtransformed into great results.ÌýRight now,Ìýthat is difficult to achieve with the current Covid-19 restrictions, but I am looking forward to it when this health emergency passes. Meanwhile, I am enjoying our online meetings, learning what everyone is up to.

Tell us about your new role.ÌýÌýÌý

On the teaching side, IÌýamÌýhelping with the modules of Design and Professional Skills, Optical Transmission and Networks and,ÌýComputer Programming. All of them covering very nice topics I really enjoy teaching!

As aÌýsupervisor, I am working on applying machine learning techniques to solve different problems. Some of these problems are close to me, as how to allocate resources in optical networks. But some are more challenging, asÌýI am not expert in the application area thatÌýstudents would like to work on. Adding captionsÌýto videos using the latest advances on artificial intelligence is one of them. Anyway, as someone that loves learning new things, I can never be thankful enough to my students for presenting me with new challenges every year!Ìý

"In its way to yourÌýcomputer, data need to have a path ‘wide enough’ to get through. Finding suchÌýaÌýpath quicklyÌýandÌýusing the network resources efficientlyÌýisÌýmy job"

Finally, research-wise, IÌýamÌýworking on designing and evaluating new ways of making sure people can get the resources they need to communicateÌýthrough the network.ÌýWhen you watch a movie, a lot ofÌýdata areÌýbeing transferred from the movie server to your computer. In its way to yourÌýcomputer, data need to have a path ‘wide enough’ to get through. Finding suchÌýaÌýpath quicklyÌý–ÌýsoÌýyour movie does not get stalledÌý–ÌýandÌýusing the network resources efficiently – so everyone can watch their movies when to want toÌý–ÌýisÌýmy job.ÌýWith everyone working from home right now, this problem becomes even more relevant!ÌýÌý

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve experienced during your career so far?Ìý

At some point in my professional life I transitioned from a very comfortable position – where I had several students to work with and enough physical and financial resources to sustain the research work – to a very deprived position (not a single student and no access to resources). That unfavourable situation lasted for a few years. Keeping on doing research (and publishing!) in those difficult conditions was definitely the biggest challenge I have experienced so far in my career.

And what is your proudest achievement?

I was born into a poor, uneducated family inÌýaÌýLatin-AmericanÌýcountryÌýunderÌýa dictatorship that got rid of anything similar to critical thinking in the education system. Getting out of povertyÌý(thanks to a lot of hard work and the generous help and support of many peopleÌýand institutions!)Ìýand obtaining my PhD degree after those inauspicious beginningsÌýis by far, my proudest achievement.

What do you like to do outside of work?Ìý

Reading is my biggest addiction. I like to read several books at the same time and my free time never feels long enough to read allÌýtheÌýbooks I would like to! A few years ago, my husband bought me an electronic reader in an attempt to avoid me filling the house with books. It didn’t work: I kept on buying the paper books I could find in the libraries in Chile and started to buy the electronic ones that were not availableÌýin paper format!

Second toÌýreading, visitingÌýforests, parks and historical places.

Covid-19Ìýmeans that many of us are working from home at the moment.ÌýWhat are your topsÌýtips forÌýeffectiveÌýremote working?

I am a very structured person, so setting up meetings to talk to my students or colleagues is not a new way of working for me, it suitsÌýmy personality!ÌýSo, I am afraid I will not be very original or helpful here: keep a big ‘to-do’ list for the long term, break it up in small ‘to-do’ lists so you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve every day and stick to it. Then, have regular breaks and appreciate the fact that you are lucky enough to have a job during these uncertain times.Ìý

Alejandra is also a member of the Institue of Communicaitons and Connected Systems.

To learn more about the teaching modules mentioned above please take a look at the departmental study page.