“Science is an incredibly attractive career path”

Maryam Kamgarpour finds it impossible to suppress the broad smile that spreads across her face when she speaks from the heart. “I love what I do as an engineering professor,” she says. “I get to work on problems I enjoy, travel to conferences around the world, learn about new discoveries, and support my family while following my vocation.” Her position as tenure track assistant professor at EPFL’s School of Engineering will involve long hours and little free time, but that does nothing to dampen her enthusiasm. Kamgarpour spoke with us about her appetite for freedom and her quest for truth, purpose and understanding.

Kamgarpour’s research sits at the crossroads of applied mathematics, engineering and computer science. She develops algorithms for optimising and controlling systems, with a particular interest in applications involving high uncertainty. Her algorithms sound like something that would be really useful in our everyday lives! Kamgarpour’s research is focused specifically on control challenges in areas such as intelligent transportation networks, smart power-grid systems, robotics and healthcare. For her PhD thesis on air traffic control systems, she developed flight-path planning algorithms, using probabilistic weather data to help aircraft avoid collisions and storms while ensuring that airspace is used safely and efficiently. Her talent didn’t go unnoticed by NASA, which selected her for the High Potential Individual Award and the Excellence in Publication Award for her work.

At EPFL, you have the opportunities and resources to do what you love, and under excellent conditions.

Kamgarpour was born in Iran. She moved to Canada at the age of 15, obtaining a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Waterloo. Her studies took her to the United States, where she completed a PhD in engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. “I never faced any barriers in pursuing a career in engineering,” she says. “Quite the opposite, in fact. In Iran, boys and girls were educated separately. We studied the same subjects and did not face any gender stereotypes in pursuing science or math, since our classes consisted only of girls! Science and engineering are incredibly attractive career paths for girls. They offer the prospect of leading a successful life and achieving financial independence.”

Kamgarpour moved to Europe to take up a research position at ETH Zurich and secured a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant in 2016. She joined EPFL last fall. Her decision, she explains, was motivated in part by a desire to continue her research at a reputable institution. She also knew that the administrative support on offer would enable her to focus fully on her work. “At EPFL, you have the opportunities and resources to do what you love, and under excellent conditions,” she says.

Asking the right questions

Kamgarpour credits her drive to her inquisitive mind and her eagerness to figure out how things work. She’s fascinated by learning how different parts all fit together. “I don’t advocate robots just for robots’ sake,” she says. “I’m interested more in understanding how they function, then exploring how that technology might be applied.” Aside from being a researcher, she also has a strong sense of purpose and conscience. “It goes without saying that students need a strong technical foundation,” she explains. “But they also need values to guide their work.”

Next semester, Kamgarpour will start teaching a new introductory class on artificial intelligence for Bachelor’s students. It’s a highly popular subject. “AI permeates every part of our lives, including how we learn,” she says. “Students need to be aware of that – and appreciate its power. They also need to ask the right questions. In what situations can AI genuinely help us? Where is it best employed? Do we really want algorithms caring for the youngest and oldest members of our society? Who is driving these changes? Corporations? Students have to understand the rationale behind these questions and think long and hard about the answers.” On a more personal note, she hopes that her “children’s choices make them fulfilled – and benefits others too.” She tries to set a good example for them to follow.