"At IMDEA I have developed autonomous thinking and the ability to work independently"

Why, what, how and where: an alumnus takes stock of her experience as a predoctoral researcher at IMDEA Networks

22 November 2022

We interview one of the members of our Alumni Network, Dr. Noelia Pérez Palma. She obtained his PhD from IMDEA Networks and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid back in February 2022 and is now working as a Postdoc researcher at Universidad de Murcia. During her time at the institute, she was part of the Opportunistic Architectures Lab Group, led by Vincenzo Mancuso. Her research focuses on protocols for opportunistic wireless networks in infrastructure-less scenarios, with applications in D2D communications.

Why did you decide to pursue a PhD?

When I finished my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, I moved directly into the industry. However, I felt that I still had a lot to learn especially in the field of telecommunications. I wanted to focus on innovative topics and better understand the real needs of society. So I decided to pursue a PhD to invest more time in my professional background to be better qualified in the future.

What would you highlight about your time as a PhD student at IMDEA Networks?

I would highlight the great opportunity that I was given to keep learning, to dig deeper into the topics that I was interested in. Also, a very important point of IMDEA is the environment. I had the opportunity to spend my time sharing ideas with amazing colleagues and professors. Besides, I have had the option to travel abroad and do an internship to collaborate with research groups in other universities. All this made me grow exponentially.

Do you feel your time at IMDEA Networks prepared you well for your professional career?

Sure, I’ve grown personally and professionally. At IMDEA, I have developed autonomous thinking and the ability to work independently. As a computer engineer, I’ve always been very focused on detail but all these years of research have provided me with the skills to abstract myself and see the big picture to tackle the problem. Now I feel much more prepared to face ambitious projects and lead my own lines of research.

Have you moved into industry, academia, or the research sector?

My plan is to stay in academia for the time being. I have new proposals to develop and I’m also curious about teaching. I’ve never done it before but I think it could also be a satisfying job.