Our 4 women portraits for the week of March 16, 2020
#INTERNATIONALWOMEN’SRIGHTSDAY

Ahlem Mifdaoui

WHAT POSITION DO YOU HOLD AND WHAT HAS BEEN DECISIVE FOR YOU IN YOUR CAREER?

I am a professor in the Complex Systems Engineering Department (DISC). I work on the modeling and analysis of embedded systems. I supervise and am responsible for the “embedded systems” master course. I studied computer science engineering, then did a thesis on embedded networks. It is my training and skills acquired throughout my studies that enabled me to be selected for the position I currently hold.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE?

From a professional point of view, it is to contribute to innovation in the field of communication networks for aerospace applications and to participate in the influence of the institute on this theme, through collaborations with renowned partners at the national and international level. Innovation and exchange seem to me to be essential for the future.

ARE THERE ANY WOMEN WHO INSPIRE YOU, WHO SERVE AS A MODEL?

Marie Curie is a great source of inspiration for me. A woman with an iron will, who assumes her ideas and has been able to impose herself in a selective and very male environment with brio.

WHAT ARE, IN YOUR OPINION, THE LEVERS TO BE ACTIVATED TO IMPROVE THE PLACE AND THE SHARE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY, THE WORLD OF WORK, AND TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES?

Equality between men and women in the various fields (society, work, politics) cannot be achieved as long as the percentage of women in decision-making positions is low. A drastic policy must be put in place to impose gender parity in parliament, government, works councils, etc., by applying the rules of positive discrimination. The immediate consequences of this policy are equal pay for men and women in the various fields, sending a positive message to young girls to pursue high-level studies and enabling them to find their leading role in society.

HIS BIO

• Full Professor at the DISC Department, University of Toulouse/ ISAE-Supaéro, Toulouse, France since 2017
• Associate Professor at DISC Department, University of Toulouse/ ISAE-Supaéro, Toulouse, France since 2008
• HDR in computer science from the University Paul Sabatier Toulouse (UPS) in December 2016
• Ph.D. in computer science from the Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse (INPT) in December 2007
• Engineering degree (i.e. M.S.) in computer science and air traffic management engineering in 2004 from the Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (ENAC) in Toulouse

His current research:

• FACTORING (2019-2023)
  The objective of the FACTORING project is to design and validate a TSN compliant network based on Gigabit Ethernet to handle real-time applications with mixed security levels in the context of Industry 4.0
• ECOA Project (2019-2020)
  The objective of the ECOA project is to optimize the real-time architecture of an embedded system using the ECOA model.

His latest articles:

• Giroudot, Frédéric and Mifdaoui, Ahlem. Graph-based Approach for Buffer-aware Timing Analysis of Heterogeneous Wormhole NoCs under Bursty Traffic. ( In Press : 2020) IEEE Access. ISSN 2169-3536
• Amari, Ahmed and Mifdaoui, Ahlem. Specification and Performance Indicators of AeroRing-A Multiple-Ring Ethernet Network for Avionics Embedded Systems. (2018) Sensors, 18 (11). 1-28. ISSN 1424-8220

Member of the Research Group on Communication Networks (RESCOM) :

The research activities of the RESCOM group are focused on network issues in aeronautics and space related contexts, i.e. space communications, embedded networks and delay tolerant networks. The results of this work are also applied to more traditional systems (Internet, wireless networks, distributed storage, ...). The two research themes of the group are : Aerospace communication networks & Connected systems.

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Yara Bores Escudero

WHAT DO YOU DO AT ISAE-SUPAERO AND WHAT WAS THE DETERMINING FACTOR IN YOUR CAREER?

I am finishing my Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering, and my speciality is Aerospace structures. I will start my internship at the aircraft manufacturer ATR. To get here I have always followed my passion for the aeronautical world and I have never closed any door. I studied in the United States, I practice several sports including basketball and orienteering, I followed complementary training and I chose to follow a master’s degree abroad, here in Toulouse. These choices made me the engineer I am today.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE?

I think it’s important to be a lifelong learner, to be a continuous learner and to always be motivated to explore new opportunities. You should never be satisfied with what you have in any professional or personal field and move forward, especially when you are a woman.

ARE THERE ANY WOMEN WHO INSPIRE YOU, WHOM YOU ADMIRE?

I don’t have a particular woman in mind. I admire all those women who do not surrender and who fight for their dreams. They are at the forefront of this necessary change in society.

WHAT ARE, IN YOUR OPINION, THE LEVERS TO BE ACTIVATED TO IMPROVE THE PLACE AND THE SHARE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY, THE WORLD OF WORK, AND THEIR PRESENCE IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES?

Women must be given more recognition in all areas of public life. More references should be made to women who play an active role in society. This is an important message that will resonate with young girls to guide their lives and careers. They will be able to choose their own voice without social stigma.

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Pauline Delande

WHAT POSITION DO YOU HOLD AND WHAT HAS BEEN DECISIVE FOR YOU IN YOUR CAREER?

Today, I am an onboard engineer for Earth observation satellites at the French Space Agency (CNES). In a few words, my mission is to prepare and carry out operations in orbit, as well as to investigate and put the satellite back into operation in case of an anomaly. To my friends and family who are not familiar with the space field, I often tell them that I am a “satellite doctor-urgent”.

My time at ISAE-SUPAERO in a specialised master’s degree in Space Systems Engineering (TAS Astro) played a big role in enabling me to do this job. Between the courses, the student clubs, the compulsory and optional projects, I was able to seize many opportunities to develop new knowledge and skills that are now very useful to me.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE?

For the future, I believe that the most important thing is to follow your desires, without being afraid to be ambitious in your projects, to try new things, even if you are wrong, and to seize opportunities when they arise. Of course I have a great interest in space, space exploration and manned flights.

ARE THERE ANY WOMEN WHO INSPIRE YOU, WHO SERVE AS A MODEL?

Many women inspire me on a daily basis. My mother, first of all, because of her ability to organize herself and to carry out many projects at the same time, and because she also instilled in me the value of work. My other role models are my grandmother, my close friends and also my female colleagues.
On the aerospace side, I am obviously very inspired by Claudie Haigneré, the first European woman in space, doctor, scientist, spacewoman and politician, she has an exceptional career. She has participated, and still participates, through her involvement in public life to break many stereotypes.

WHAT ARE, IN YOUR OPINION, THE LEVERS TO BE ACTIVATED TO IMPROVE THE PLACE AND THE SHARE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY, THE WORLD OF WORK, AND TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES?

Education plays a fundamental role. Stereotypes must be deconstructed from an early age, showing little girls that, whatever their ambitions, everything is accessible to them by giving them the tools to free themselves from sexism. We must not underestimate the importance, both conscious and unconscious, of role models and improve the visibility of women who succeed in very male-dominated sectors.

HIS BIO

Pauline Delande is an ISAE-SUPAERO Alumni & Onboard Operations Engineer at CNES, for the maintenance in operational conditions of Earth observation satellites. Graduated from the TAS Astro (Space Systems Engineering) Specialized Master, she worked during her training on the SEEDS project (SpacE Exploration and Development Systems) which aims at preparing manned exploration missions on Mars. During her internship at CNES, she worked for 6 months on the design and implementation of a ZeroG experiment to test the deployment of CubeSats. She is also an engineer in Mechanical Engineering, with a specialization in aerospace at INSA Toulouse.

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Cécile Latournerie

WHAT POSITION DO YOU HOLD AND WHAT HAS BEEN DECISIVE FOR YOU IN YOUR CAREER?

I am in charge of the OSE programme at ISAE SUPAERO, a scheme for equal opportunities in access to higher education for all. Coming from a modest rural background, I am the first member of my family to have gone to university. Supported and encouraged, I have had the choice in my studies and my professional orientation. I have always seized the opportunities that were offered to me. And today I can say that I embody my job.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE?

The question of meaning is essential in my personal and professional projection: I want to be an actress of change. This means giving everyone the choice and the keys to success to build their own career path, regardless of their background, gender or origin...

WHAT INSPIRES YOU, WHAT SERVES AS A MODEL?

I will quote a woman and a book.
My grandmother, a committed, positive, warm woman, devoted her whole life to others. Her actions were always in line with her convictions and her human values. Michelle Perrot’s book “Les femmes ou les silences de l’histoire” (Women or the silences of history) has nourished my desire and my need to work on the question of the place of women in society.

WHAT ARE, IN YOUR OPINION, THE LEVERS TO BE ACTIVATED TO IMPROVE THE PLACE AND THE SHARE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY, THE WORLD OF WORK, AND TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES?

In my opinion, the main lever remains education. Self-censorship, stereotypes and representations are built up from an early age. In this context, schools play an essential role. It must be able to provide models of success, propose inspiring figures, work on self-confidence, raise awareness among boys, who are also actors of change. It is up to us to contribute to this on a daily basis.

HIS BIO

Cécile has followed a training course dedicated to thestudy of languages, the valorisation of cultures and teaching:

• DEA in Hispanic Languages, Literatures and Civilizations,
• Master’s degree in French as a foreign language
• Master 2 Intercultural Relations and International Cooperation.

“After several academic stays abroad (Mexico, Peru and Spain), I started my professional career in the team in charge of Toulouse’s bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2013. Following this two-year experience of international competition, I continued in the public domain by managing state schemes to support young people’s projects and to take care of very precarious people (emergency accommodation, guardianship and trusteeship, ...) at the Regional Directorate for Youth, Sports and Social Cohesion. Since 2015, I have been pursuing my social and educational vocation as the person in charge of the equal opportunity program in access to higher education, the Cordée de la Réussite OSE l’ISAE SUPAERO.”