Carlos A. Coello Coello

Professor of Computer Science at CINVESTAV

Carlos A. Coello Coello is a full professor of computer science and researcher at The Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV) in Mexico, where he was born. His main research interests are in evolutionary algorithms, which use principles from biology in algorithmic problem solving.

 

Civil Engineering

Growing up in Chiapas, there weren’t many options at third level, as the local university only offered traditional areas of study such as law and medicine. His father was a civil engineer, so Carlos decided to enter a course in this discipline with the hope of developing an interest. He was a hard worker and did well in his studies, but wasn’t confident that civil engineering would satisfy him fully. Upon graduating, he wanted to explore a new interest he had developed: computer programming.

 

Shifting to Computer Science

During his undergraduate, Carlos’ father purchased for him a personal computer that contained a mere one kilobyte of memory. He started writing small programs in the language BASIC and found it incredibly interesting. Looking outward for graduate programs in computer science, he found one at Tulane University in New Orleans and applied for a scholarship from the Mexican Government. 

Of all engineering disciplines, they warned him that civil engineering was the least compatible with computer science. The mathematics he had studied thus far such as trigonometry and physics would only be partially related, and he was missing several basic courses such as data structures. However, the university decided to take a chance on the ambitious Carlos and took him on board.

The first two years of his studies were very intense, he had to catch up on a lot of concepts that were unfamiliar to him. He was studying alongside many who had their foundations in the discipline and appreciates how much determination it took on his part to stay afloat. However, he points to a comment from influential computer scientist Alan Kay, in which he says that some of the best computer scientists don’t have their roots there. He’s found that his background has given him a unique perspective and has no regrets about studying civil engineering. He graduated from Tulane with a perfect score in all his classes.

In 1996, Carlos received a PhD from Tulane University and has since then built a very successful career at CINVESTAV in Mexico City. He has spent over twenty years as a researcher and in 2013 won the IEEE Kiyo Tomiyasu Award for outstanding contributions to the field. One of his most influential papers has been cited over nine thousand times.

 

How Civil Engineering Helped Him

Carlos believes that his undergraduate studies in civil engineering gave him a very pragmatic way of thinking that has taken him far. Sometimes people try to find a complicated but perfect solution to a problem that may not exist. He’s always valued practical solutions that are imperfect but available, and believes this has helped him both professionally and personally. He knows of others who are now in this discipline with other unique ways of thinking, such as musicians and actors. He believes this diversity of thought can be of great benefit to the community.

Carlos is relieved that he shifted the direction of his career from a young age, and is thankful that he had the chance to study computer science with a non-traditional background.