Applied Math and Engineering

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  1. The potential and limitations of applying research-level mathematics in engineering
  2. Software for computational geometry and physics applications
  3. Embedded systems and firmware development
  4. Algorithm design and engineering
  5. Product design and solutions architecting
  6. Mastering new information and skills under pressure to produce useful and high-quality deliverables

My github: https://github.com/juliagibson

MY ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE

As an applied mathematician and engineer, I am interested in the theory and practice of intelligent systems and solutions that serve human needs and thriving. I generally prefer a mathematical approach to this topic and by default am agnostic about any particular technology or process. One implication of that stance is that I will learn how to use a new tool well for a project if it’s the right tool for the job.

Concretely, like many engineers, I love wrangling and solving hard problems in code and CAD. I also really like cool gadgets and tech with a distinct ‘WOW’ factor. Possibly unlike many engineers, I also love doing mathematics and getting philosophical (or at least critically thoughtful) about what it is we’re actually thinking about and building. My education in math, computational cognition, and classical music was the start of a long-viewed trajectory in understanding and creating fundamental concepts, applying them sensibly and (hopefully!) cleverly, and finally delivering something beautiful to stakeholders.

I wrote my master’s thesis in an area of algebraic geometry that might, with time and the work of other mathematicians, become an extension of Schubert calculus to spherical varieties. The mathematical curiosity and valuing of rigorous argument and problem solving that I have developed over time come to bear especially in the geometric and logical aspects of design. I seek to harness relationships between points in either physical or logical space that help engineers arrive at useful points in the overall solution space for a given application.

If you’re a very particular type of nerd and want to take a look at my master’s thesis, here you go!

Rings of Conditions of Rank 1 Spherical Varieties

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

FOR STUDENTS OF ENGINEERING

TASKS YOU MIGHT CONSIDER:

  • Internalize and apply this document: The Unwritten Laws of Engineering
  • Devote yourself to developing rare and valuable skills.
  • Craft your engineering portfolio to convey said skills.
  • Carefully inspect your engineering portfolio from the perspective of employers. Ask yourself: What work did you really do? That is, what did you start with and what did you deliver that was useful?

For aspiring engineers who identify as being a member of a minority group in STEM: The following is just one perspective for you to stir into the mix and decide about for yourself.

When managing your decisions, consider focusing first and foremost on improving your technical skill set and taking care of yourself over service activities during your formative years of education and training. An extremely reliable way to become powerful in an organization, regardless of identifying characteristics, is to make yourself indispensable and to be a salve to management’s pain points. To that end, we live in an unprecedented age of access to online training and relatively inexpensive learning kits (e.g. codecademy, $25 dev boards off Digikey,…). Take these opportunities and run with them. Your volunteer work or personal hardships will probably never win you a good job if your technical skills are less strong compared to others in the same applicant pool as you, as much as employers might admire your character for having those experiences. You need to prove to an employer that you can help them in their objectives better than anyone else competing for the same position. Once you have a good job, i.e. one that treats you well, you will be economically empowered—which is beneficial to you, your community, and your minority group(s)—and you will likely still have many years and more resources with which to give back. If you owe society anything, then foremost you owe it your own success.

ACTIVITIES

October 2019, Toronto, ON:

I spoke about software development in the space industry at the SEDS Canada NASA Space Apps hackathon, hosted at Ryerson University. I also served as judge of participants’ solutions. Learn more about the exciting work that the students did at https://seds.ca/projects/spaceapps/!

August 2019, Logan, UT:

I gave a presentation on behalf of Sinclair Interplanetary, titled, Quantity and Quality: Scaling small business for large constellations at the annual space circus otherwise known as Small Sat. Our team’s paper, which I co-authored, is available at https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/smallsat/2019/all2019/266/.

February 2019, Scottsdale, AZ:

I gave a short talk titled Orbit Propagation for Satellite Optical Communications at the Women In Space Conference.

OUTREACH

I believe that service-driven and personable outreach to students and the general populace is of great importance to science and engineering in order for knowledge to serve a useful purpose and to build public trust. In my case, such efforts are coupled with the aspiration to increase the status and visibility of technical folks from historically underrepresented parts of the population, especially in mathematics and engineering.