In this series of interviews, we meet IoT Lab members to know more about them and listen to advice from their research experience.
In today’s interview, we meet Dr. Abdelrahman Eldosouky, a postdoctoral fellow at the Carleton IoT Lab.
Hello Dr. Abdelrahman, and thanks for dedicating this time to answer our interview questions. Some questions will be personal about yourself, and some will be about your research experience.
Who is Dr. Abdelrahman Eldosouky?
I am a father, a husband, and a researcher. I was born in Egypt, and I stayed there mostly until I travelled to the USA to do my PhD at Virginia Tech.
What is your role in Carleton Sensor Systems and The Internet of Things?
I am a postdoctoral Fellow and the Technical Manager of a research project conducted at Carleton University under the supervision of professor Mohamed Ibnkahla. The project is developing a security platform at the system level for IoT-enabled e-Health systems. Besides my technical contributions to the project.
I am also responsible for managing the tasks among the project members and leading the project’s activities. I am also mentoring some PhD and Master’s students working on different security problems in the IoT.
What is your academic experience?
I have worked my whole life in academia. After graduating with B.Sc., I was offered a position at my university as I was ranked second in my class. In this position, I was teaching for a few years, supervising undergraduate students, running labs, and doing research for my Master’s. After that, I worked as a graduate research assistant during my PhD in the USA, and finally, I am here at Carleton as a Postdoctoral Fellow.
What do you like about working in the research domain?
Challenging myself in exploring new research problems and finding solutions to them. I also like how being in the research community motivates you to continuously learn new things and to follow other researchers.
What are the qualities you think are very important for students and researchers?
I would like to list the qualities along with some proverbs I personally like:
Perseverance: “Going in one more round when you don’t think you can, that’s what makes all the difference in your life” – Sylvester Stallone acting as Rocky balboa.
Being self-motivated: “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think” – Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh.
Handling rejections: “Failure is the only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently” – Henry Ford (founder of the Ford Motor Company).
Time management: “The trouble is, you think you have time” – Jack Kornfield (American author)
Tell us about a failure you experienced and how you overcame it?
My first ever submitted journal paper was rejected after being under review for more than a year, out of an administrative mistake. As I knew the paper was of good quality, I submitted it to another journal in the same field, with a significantly higher impact factor, and it got accepted.
How do you stay motivated?
By always setting future goals, by the time I reach one goal, I find myself pursuing another.
What do you like about Carleton university?
I like the Carleton community and its people. I also like my nice office at the ARISE building.
In comparison to your previous universities, tell us something you find unique about Carleton.
Carleton has a beautiful campus, and it is unique because of its location in the heart of Ottawa.
How do you feel in our city, Ottawa?
I feel lucky to live here. Ottawa is a wonderful city to raise a family. It has a lot of family-oriented activities and many quiet neighbourhoods.
What do you like the most about Ottawa?
Not the weather, but in Ottawa, you can find both the amenities of a big city and the calm of a small town.
Your favourite place to visit in Ottawa?
Parliament Hill and its surrounding area. I like the park across from it and Rideau Canal Locks.
Your best restaurant?
Ottawa has many amazing shawarma restaurants, and I also like Mary Browns.
What are your hobbies? Do you practice them here in Ottawa?
I love to read, play soccer, and learn new things. In Ottawa, I play soccer weekly in a recreational league.
Do you have any advice for students and junior researchers?
Yes, I want to say that a PhD is not a 9-5 job. It is a major milestone in your life, and you should spare no effort to achieve it. Part of this is to focus on improving your weak areas to help you achieve this goal. For example, some students can take extra mathematics or statistical courses to help with their research, others can work on their presentation skills, etc. Improving the qualities, I stated earlier, is also important. In short, a student should be prepared to push themselves to the limit during their PhD journey. Remember, if it were easy, everyone would do it.
The last word for our readers?
While in graduate school, focus on your goal but do not forget to enjoy the journey.
Thank you a lot for your time, Dr. Abdelrahman! We wish you lots of success in your future!
I hope our readers enjoy the exciting answers you provided and benefit from your research experience.
See also: Abdelrahman Eldosouky