Name: Dr. Francine Evans
Title: Collaboration Engineer
Company: Schlumberger
Contact:
fevans@slb.com
How I arrived at my present job (academic and other influences): After graduating with a PhD in computer science in 1998, I was unsure whether to go to industry or academia. I interviewed for positions in both areas, and found an interesting job working in the Oil Services area and applying my knowledge in Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality.
How I organize my day: This usually depends on where we are in the software lifecycle. Sometimes I am working on coding features in software products, other times I give demos, read/write papers, attend classes or conferences.
Amount of time spent working daily (at home and office): I definitely am an early bird and am at the office early around 6:30-7 am and try to leave around 4pm.
What I do to get myself thinking creatively: Take a break. Usually I can come up with solutions if I step away from the problem for a while and then come back to it with a fresh mind.
My problem-solving strategy: It is always good to make lists of small tasks. This way you feel like you have accomplished something, even if it is small, when you cross something off your list.
What I do to relieve stress: Kickboxing. Or any form of exercise. I believe in a healthy mind as well as a healthy body. Also I like to paint and watch movies.
What I do to mentor those who work for me: I mentored a summer student and have also done online mentoring. I think the best thing to do is to be honest, and that is what I always try to be. Even if a student asks you a question about something that is not good about your job, you should always answer each question as best as you can, and honestly. I also encourage my students to ask me anything, even things that are not related to work.
What values are the most important to me and what I value in others: Honesty, strength, dedication.
What inspires, motivates, or gets me excited about my job on a daily basis: My job provides me a lot of room to grow and this excites me.
Biography:
Dr. Evans received her doctorate from the State University of New York at Sunnybrook with a dissertation about interactions in virtual environments. Her research interests include: Computer Graphics, Algorithms Design, Virtual Reality, and Computational Geometry.
This survey was filled out in February 2002.
Last Modified:
Location: www.acm.org/crossroads/dayinlife/bios/francine_evans.html