“Being an engineer means having a life full of opportunities”

A year has passed since the summer’s day in the coastal city of Gothenburg, Sweden, when Alma received her master’s degree in engineering physics from Chalmers University of Technology. Yet, she has already had the opportunity to work on numerous exciting projects at the forefront of technological development.

Alma joined Syntronic through our student collaboration scheme. Her degree project, focused on the use of AI to analyse brain scans in a research project about high blood pressure prevention, was a positive experience.

“I applied since I’m interested in how technology can be used to make a difference,” she says. “The best solutions – those that I want to dedicate my career to – are those that empower people to live better lives.”

Alma was eager to accept at position at Syntronic after graduating from Chalmers, since she knew that it would entail working with innovative and advanced projects.

“As someone who loves new ideas and problem-solving, I felt that Syntronic was the right place for me,” she recalls. “I look forward to deepening my AI and machine learning capabilities with our team here”.

Passionate about inclusivity

Born into a family of engineers, Alma discovered her passion for mathematics and physics early in life. She opted for studying engineering physics, since she had heard people refer to it as a difficult discipline.

“I have never been interested in having an easy life. I love challenges and to push myself into trying new things,” she shares.

Physics was the right choice for Alma, who developed a special interest in algorithm development. However, she was disappointed to note that engineering remains a male-dominated field.

“At the science programme in high school, the students were of mixed genders but at the engineering department at my university, I was one of few women,” she comments. “I think that this imbalance has historical and structural reasons but that it is important to challenge it. In my case, I had a role model in my mother, who is an engineer. Strong female role models in engineering can be one way to work towards greater inclusivity.

”As an active engineer, Alma has learnt how important balanced representation– especially when it comes to product development.

“It’s important to be aware of the needs of different groups in the R&D stage. If a group is excluded, their needs risks being overlooked. That is why the engineering community needs to be as inclusive as possible. As many different groups as possible must be represented,” she stresses.

"As someone who loves new ideas and problem-solving, I felt that Syntronic was the right place for me".

One life, many passions

Developing technology that is accessible to all people is far from being Alma’s only skill. She is also an accomplished figure skater and a professional ski instructor.

“I wanted to do something wild and crazy between my bachelor’s degree and my master’s, so I moved to Austria – where I didn’t know the language – to obtain credentials as a ski instructor. I taught skiing classes until I felt ready for my master’s,” she shares.

It was while studying towards her master’s degree that Alma’s passion for artificial intelligence and advanced algorithm development grew strong.

“AI is still an emerging field and although we don’t know yet where the road will take us, it is clear that there are many benefits,” she comments. “I believe that AI should be used to reduce risks and spare us as human beings from work that could be dangerous to us.”

A meaningful career

Alma finds her work as a data scientist and algorithm developer meaningful, fun and challenging.

“It feels great to know that I can make a positive impact – for instance in fields like sustainability and health. I love it but to be completely honest I still haven’t decided what I want to do when I ‘grow up’,” she laughs.

“That is also why it was a good decision to become and engineer. It was a way to keep many different doors open. There are so many paths as person can take within engineering. Being an engineer means having a life full of opportunities,” she concludes.