Computer Vision News - December 2020

248 one! I don’t know! It’s hard for a person to say that for themselves. I dopersevere. I’ve been able to catch up to every environment that I’ve been in. I absorb and adapt. Even while I was working at Max Planck, even while I was a research engineer, I did get involved… because we were a very small team, we had to do everything. We would need engineers in the scanning room. I wouldn’t get scared togetmyhandsdirtytryingtoplayaround with the sensor. I’ve done engineering work. I’ve done administration work. I’ve done financial planning work [ laughs ]... of course software engineering, creating lots and lots of tools for all of the group members and myself. And you wrote a lot of code? I wrote a lot of code and paper reviews. I think being able to jump into lots of differentthingsiswhathelpsmebethissort of rockstar… [ laughs ] … as Michaelsays! That’s something I like to do. I like to get involved in everything. There’s also the saying: “Jack of all trades, master ofnone” . [ laughs ] I’m also afraid of that! I do like getting involved and finding out how people are doing different things. It’s a flaw but also a good thing. Back to Michael, can we find a name for him? There’s a rockstar and there’s a superstar! Michael is an amazing friend and amazing mentor to learn from. What happened before Max Planck and Texas? You are not from Germany. Where are you from? I am from Pakistan. You are the third Pakistani that we have interviewed for this Women in Computer Vision series, after Sophia Bano and Imama Noor. It’s an honor to have you. Can you tell us something about growing up in Pakistan as a science oriented and mathematically gifted girl? When I was in school, in a small town, I was already one of the best math students. Then I went to university, for my Bachelor’s, in Lahore. Pakistan has a lot of talent. I am definitely not an anomaly among the people of Pakistan. There are so many people who are very gifted mathematically, in physics. I think it’s just a lack of opportunity and being able to explore your talents more. I was lucky that I was able to find a good Women in Computer Vision The team met this year with Bundeskanzlerin Frau Angela Merkel...