Faculty Who Lead to Inspire Q&A with Dr. Maryam Davoudpour
Maryam Davoudpour, Ph. D.
Professor, Electronics
Chair, IEEE Toronto Section
Growing up in Iran, Dr. Maryam Davoudpour was always curious. She wanted to know what was inside their family's television, how her talking doll operated and the mechanical design of toy cars. She let her curiosity get the best of her and pursued her passion for electronics engineering.
Fast forward and Dr. Maryam Davoudpour is now a professor at the Faculty of Applied Sciences & Technology (FAST) at Humber College and smashing the glass ceiling as an inspiring role model for young female engineers. We sat down with Dr. Davoudpour to discuss her extensive industrial and academic experience and celebrate her most recent achievement — the FIRST female Chair of IEEE Toronto since the chapter was founded in 1903.
Congratulations on your recent appointment as the new Chair of IEEE Toronto! As the world’s largest technical professional organizations for the advancement of technology, what are your aspirations and short-term goals for the Toronto community of electronics and computer engineering professionals?
Thank you! I am truly grateful and humbled that I was selected as the first female in this position. As the new Chair, my primary goal is for IEEE Toronto to play an important role in reducing the skills gap in Ontario. There is a need to connect industry with students and work together to build a strong skilled workforce. IEEE Toronto is a community of more than 4,000 electronics and computer engineering professionals with student branches at educational institutions including Humber College. We are in a unique position to truly make a difference and engage industry partners to play a vital role helping graduates embark on promising careers.
Tell us about your journey and how you found your passion for electronics engineering?
During my childhood, I was always curious and together with my younger brother, we would disseminate our toys to explore the inner workings.
Realizing their 12-year-old daughter was driven by curiosity and fascinated with innovation and technology, my parents bought our family a Commodore 64. Instead of playing with my new computer, I learned how to program it and started learning with my brother algorithms and computer programming.
My parents always supported my curiosity and encouraged me to try new and different activities. From playing piano to horseback riding, these experiences fuelled my passion for discovery.
Is it true you learned Russian to study in Moscow?
Yes (laughing)! I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Electronic Engineering from Tehran Central University in 1999 and then moved to Russia soon after, where I learned the language before attaining a College Degree in Transitional Studies from Marhi University in 2000. Following, I earned my Master’s Degree in 2003 and a Ph. D. in 2006 specializing in Information Technology & Computer Science from the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. I wanted to become heavily involved with applied research and collaborate with industry partners to pursue real change.
How does Humber FAST provide you with the opportunity to pursue your love for applied research?
Humber College provides me with a unique opportunity to develop an effective applied research environment for students while closely working with my professional network to bring new research opportunities to Humber.
My field of expertise spans Internet of Things (IoT), nonlinear modeling & simulation, social mobile application design and architecture, wearable devices interfaces and architectures and Petri Nets. I am so grateful for the opportunity to blend my love of research with sharing my industry and real-world experiences with passionate students who are eager to learn.
Since joining Humber FAST in 2016, you have accomplished remarkable achievements in 6 short years?
Thank you. In addition to being elected Chair of IEEE Toronto, I am also the Chair of IEEE WIE Toronto (Women in Engineering) and was selected as an Honorable Mention for the 2018 WIE Inspiring Member of the Year Award by the IEEE WIE committee. I also received the Research Excellence Award at the 2020 Humber College President’s Awards.
I have always been passionately driven by a desire to discover new technologies and stay ahead of emerging trends. I have been involved in many research projects since my academic tenure and take great pride in the successful R&D Project: ‘CANthings’ (Context-Aware Network for the Design of Connected Things), resulting from a need for the development practices that are suitable for building relationships between ‘things’, ‘people’, ‘places’ and ‘data’.
My work has been published in dozens of journals including Elsevier Journal (Cognitive Systems Research) and Journal of Systemics (Cybernetics & Informatics) and I have secured numerous scholarships and participated in various grants including the 2019 New Frontiers Research Fund for $250,000.
What excites you about teaching at Humber FAST?
What excites me about teaching at Humber College is the commitment to active learning. Curiosity is a learning motivator and Humber is a cohort of intelligent, passionate and curious researchers, instructors, and students. It's an incredible feeling to see students actively participate in our engaging environment and knowing that I played a small role in their desire to learn while nurturing their curiosity to explore new discoveries.
You are an excellent role model for young female engineers. What advice would you provide to young women who are interested in pursuing a career in STEM?
Be fearless.
Quite often, I would find myself in a session with more than 70 engineers and I was the only woman. I never thought “I am the only woman.” Rather, “I am an engineer.”
I was fortunate to have the support and encouragement from my family at a very young age to follow my passion and achieve the highest potential. My supervisors’ and mentors’ have guided me throughout my educational journey, and I strive to be a positive mentor to all my students.
If you are working in a community of engineers, build trust. Share your thoughts and bring attention to the missing parts. Your thoughts are worth it!
