Interview with Dr. Hamed Aly, By Cameron Archibald
Dr. Hamed Aly is well known to all engineering students, teaching the notorious electric circuits course. Whether you love circuits or it strikes fear in your heart, most agree Dr. Aly is a memorable and passionate professor. We hope you enjoy getting to know his story and model of an engineering career.
On how he came to study electrical engineering:
“Because of my passion to know more about something that I'm not seeing, but I'm feeling, which is electricity. When I was young, I was watching the tv. And I don't know how this guy's working. I was seeing there's power but I don't know what's inside how does it work? But if I touch it you know, I'm feeling that's why it gave me a passion to study something related to that, to know what is inside. … I chose electrical because I love mathematics. I love to use my imagination, and I love to work in an office instead of going outside.”
On his transition from industry to graduate studies:
“After I got my bachelor, I started working in the industry for a couple of months. And I found that in industry, it's very interesting. But the problem is after like a couple of months, there is a repetition for the work. There is a very, very small narrow channel for a new part you are seeing. There is creation, but it's very limited. That's why I started thinking about master and PhD because I love to know the new technology, and I love to learn more. I love seeing new problems try to solve them.”
On his passion for teaching:
“I'm enjoying while I'm seeing students are engaged and excited to know more about the topic that I'm teaching. I love teaching, that's why. I'm being so happy while I'm seeing students asking, and asking details, asking me to repeat.”
On his graduate students:
“You couldn't imagine my feeling, while I'm seeing my graduate students get their masters or PhD and start competing with me for publication. Actually they are not competing, I'm joking, but what I’m saying is that if my students become better than me, this is my success. I should transfer this knowledge to my student to be better than me.”
On his life outside of work:
“I’m enjoying playing with my kids, especially soccer. Because my kids are raised up here, so they don't know a lot about Egypt. That's why sometimes I'm sitting with them reading about Egypt. Telling them about their family in Egypt and how we moved here. Plus playing with my older son, he loves to play with me and I love to play with him.”
On his advice to students:
“My advice is to love what you are working on. If you are going to not like what you are working on, you will not be creative. Even if you are working on very, very small project, you can be creative in that project if you love it. If you didn't like it, you will feel it, you will not be creative and you will not find yourself in that project and you will not enjoy. So again, try to enjoy what you are doing. Life is very short, and if you are not enjoying, you know, you will regret, because every day is not coming back. Even if you are writing a test, try to enjoy while you are writing the test. Don't put yourself under pressure, this is a test it will affect my performance. If you did that, you will not succeed. So try to be relaxed, do your best, and everything will be very simple.”
Final note from Cameron:
Students of Dr. Aly will laugh at his comment about test-taking considering his exams are very difficult. I have found success with his advice; once seated in Sexton Gym I can’t prepare any more, so I try to smile and do my best. Many thanks to Dr. Aly for the excellent responses, and let us know what other professor you’d like to hear from.