Irene works at Volvo Cars in Gothenburg
Irene Natale graduated from the master's programme in Applied and Computational Mathematics in 2019. After graduating she moved to Gothenburg in the South-East of Sweden where she works for the car manufacturer Volvo.
Hi Irene, what are you doing now?
I started working at Volvo Cars R&D in Göteborg right after the defence of my master’s thesis. There are about 20 people working in my team and we all work together in an open plan office, where each of us has a personal desk but also the freedom to share thoughts, opinions and to ask for advice from the others. My team mainly focuses on virtual validation and verification of car sensors and autonomous driving functions, which means a lot of models and simulations. I personally spend a lot of time programming, but we also have regular meetings both among team members and with other teams in order to discuss the broader picture of our work.
Have you worked with anything else since you graduated?
No, this job at Volvo is my first, although I did have the opportunity to spend three months at BCAM (Basque Center for Applied Mathematics) doing a short internship related to my final project.
Why did you choose this programme at KTH?
After finishing my bachelor’s studies in Italy, I strongly felt the need to spend time abroad. I remember I sent a few applications around Europe but KTH was my first choice. The Master’s Programme in Applied and Computational Mathematics looked very complete – I loved the fact that I would be able to spend my time on real projects, and I enjoyed the idea of choosing my personal specialization, being free to choose the courses I liked the most.
Are there any insights you acquired during your studies that have been particularly useful for you in your career?
First of all, the way of thinking about problems. I personally think that the Master’s Programme in Applied Mathematics gave me the tools and knowledge to take a broad problem, split it up into smaller ones and then combine them into a one final solution. And maybe also do it in an efficient but yet elegant way.
What were the best aspects of your studies at KTH?
Most definitely the fact that my professors were always willing to both help and challenge the students. And, also, the many opportunities, the job fairs and the beautiful library in which I spent most of my time.
What is your best memory from your time at university?
I and my friend worked on a big final project for the Parallel Computations course. The best moment was when everything finally worked!
What are your plans for the future?
I really enjoy my job at Volvo Cars, and I am planning to stay here for a few years. But I also feel that empowering girls to choose more technical and scientific studies is something I want to be involved in in the future.
What would you say to a student thinking of applying for this programme?
It won’t be easy - but it will be a lot of fun!