Manoosh Alizadeh
Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC Santa Barbara
Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, '14
Mahnoosh Alizadeh obtained her Ph.D. from UC Davis in 2014. She is currently an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC Santa Barbara. Dr. Alizadeh’s research is focused on network control, optimization, and learning frameworks that promote efficiency and resiliency in human-cyber-physical systems, such as smart grid and electric transportation networks.
We recently caught up with Mahnoosh to learn more about what technology excites her, and also to reflect on her biggest influences when she was a UC Davis graduate student.
What research or technology are you most excited about right now, and why?
I am currently most excited about incorporating strict constraint-satisfaction guarantees into data-driven learning algorithms that will be employed in safety-critical physical systems. Imagine using a data-driven method to learn how customers respond to dynamic price signals in power distribution networks. How can we still guarantee the physical safety constraints of the power network when probing users with different price signals? I have been looking at this question from various angles, both theoretical and application oriented, and I find it fascinating and quite important given the widespread adoption of data-driven methods in every sector.
How did your time at UC Davis impact you and/or prepare you for your career?
UC Davis had a close-knit community of graduate students, faculty, and staff that were quite supportive of each other. As an international student, it was heartwarming to be welcomed in a safe and supportive environment. This enabled me to work hard and survive the pressures of grad school. With its peaceful, safe and fun environment, the City of Davis will also always have a fond place in my heart, and is an extremely nice place to live as a new international student.
Did you have a favorite course or instructor at UC Davis?
Every ECE Professor I interacted with at UC Davis positively impacted my learning and my career. They were all excellent teachers who also deeply cared about their students, which is the trait I cherished the most. Professor Ding's estimation and detection class was probably my favorite.
What advice would you give to young people who are currently seeking a degree in electrical and computer engineering?
ECE and the tech world in general move at a very fast pace, so instead of chasing the latest hot trend, they should work on creating a strong fundamental knowledge base that will last them a lifetime and allow them to move between different technology sectors easily if needed.