IVADO Student Portraits – Anaïs Babio

Our “IVADO Student Portraits” initiative consists of meeting students from our community to share their backgrounds, motivations and ambitions! We interviewed Anaïs Babio, third-year student in applied mathematics and scientific computing at École d’ingénieurs Sup-Galilée in France and IVADO scholarship student from “Internship Scholarships: Data Storytelling”.

• Can you tell us a few words about yourself?

My name is Anaïs Babio, I’m 21 and I’m a third-year student in applied mathematics and scientific computing at École d’ingénieurs Sup-Galilée in France. I’ve always had a keen interest in mathematics, its concrete applications and its impacts on the world we live in.

• Tell us about your academic journey.

I’ve followed let’s call it a linear path, guided by a thirst for knowledge in the field of mathematical applications. After I did my bac in science, I did two years of engineering-school preparatory classes before sitting a competitive examination for admission to Sup-Galilée. While in my first year of engineering studies, I completed a licence in modelling and mathematical engineering at Université Sorbonne Paris Nord. During my second year, I was fortunate to do an exchange at Université de Montréal, in mathematical and computational finance, which earned me the Data Storytelling internship scholarship offered by IVADO.

• What motivated you to choose digital intelligence?

I became interested in this field at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. I was attracted by the use of digital intelligence to obtain information such as modelling of the rate of COVID victims over time and by country. That also helped me realize how important digital intelligence and its applications are to both the medical and the social realms. Today, digital intelligence is an indispensable field.

• What are you working on for your research project?

My current research project is on uncertainty quantification in a frazil risk model. I am conducting this final-year project at the Electricité de France group’s National Hydraulics and Environment Laboratory. Frazil ice poses a major risk because it adheres to the pre-filtration screens in power-plant pumping stations, restricting the passage of water needed for the cooling circuit. This study aims to analyze the various parameters that are sources of uncertainty and to assess their impact on how the model responds to frazil risk. This is done by analyzing data on the frazil, from initial crystal formation to growth.

• Any particular qualities that are serving you well for this project?

To complete this project, it’s important to be rigorous, patient and think critically. Scientific rigour is the key to successfully completing any study; it’s what guarantees accuracy and precision in the results. Patience and rigour go hand in hand: if you want good results, you have to be patient. Especially considering that in the field of research, it’s important to continually test out new methods, new solutions that may not be the right ones, to obtain the best outcome.

• What are your ambitions for the future?

After completing my education I want to continue harnessing digital intelligence to solve industrial problems with social and environmental implications.

• Any resources to share?

I would recommend the memoir My Brief History by Stephen Hawking, which tells his life story and delivers a touching message full of hope and emotion.

• What challenges are you encountering during your academic journey?

The biggest challenge is choosing a course of study, especially when you have a curious mind. It’s hard to settle on one thing because you’re attracted to everything. You feel an urge to explore everything.