What are your strengths?
Patience, constancy, dedication to my work.
May I know your weaknesses?
Unfair treatment of people, being unable to help somebody in case of some need.
What are your goals?
Keeping researching, find new ways of make some money, care my health, have more students to supervise.
Where do you want to be in next 5 years time?
Publish 60 papers, earn and invest more money and visit some universities around the world to deliver talks related with the subject of my research.
What 3 positive words would your colleagues/friends say about you?
Positive attitude, dedication to work, friendship.
Tell me about a time when something went well?
Feel happy, rejoiced and with renewed strength to do my best effort in future challenges.
Tell me about a time when something went wrong and you dealt with it?
Deep thinking about the failure, causes, how to succeed next time never disheartened. Gain for the failure since show me the way in which I cannot go.
What is your greatest achievement?
My doctoral degree.
What & who motivates you?
My spirit and wiliness of doing things, is my nature. My family always has been an inspiration for me and last but least my advisor Dr. Sn Chow.
What do you want to develop about yourself?
Projects in applied math, specifically in gas and oil; that is, exploration, and commercialization of these items. There are mathematical models, which have not been analyzed in depth from mathematical point of view, I wish to do that among other things. Continue growing as a person and learning more and more every day, especially from my colleagues.
How do you handle pressure/stress?
With calm, never show any sign of stress, always with positive attitude
What do you like to do outside of work?
Read, listen music, fishing in the company of the whole family.
What’s unique about you?
Unique good humor all the time, no matter circumstances I always have a joke or a saying trying to ease any situation.
Tell me about a significant crisis you have faced?
In my field of work never faced a crisis, the low salaries in my country is a serious problem and therefore I consider that a crisis, sometimes lack of food or medicine; that is a hard issue.
How do you resolve conflict in the groups or teams that you are a part of?
Most important thing in this type of situation is mediation, conversation and dialogue; express my opinion in a polite way and finally try to get along with each other.
Tell me about a time when you changed your priorities to meet others’ expectations?
I am prepared for that, the complex dynamics of our world make you change priorities and even goals. That is not a problem for me never undermine my purpose of doing things, good things.
Tell me about a difficult decision that you have made?
I remember a particular one, I was the president of an educational institution and I had to fire some employees.
What significant problems have you faced in the last year?
No significant problems, some economic problems due to the difficult situation my country in going through.
Tell me how you organize your work and schedule your time?
I organize my day and week on Sunday but checking everyday my agenda. At the beginning of each day, usually very early in the morning I take a closer look to my already prepare schedule. I try to meet all tasks and compromises in my schedule.
Describe a situation you were involved in that required a multi-dimensional communication strategy?
In my university, in multiple occasions, we need to teach calculus in very similar way, nevertheless no always is that easy. In that case we, professor of calculus, meet together, discuss some strategies and fortunately all the time without exception, came with agreement and semester goes smoothly.
Give an example of a difficult or sensitive situation that required extensive communication?
Never saw anything like it, only the mentioned in previous discussion.
What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
Having a family, get my PhD degree, supervise doctoral students. Those facts are important in my life because have allowed me to reach my dreams of my whole life, always wished to have a family and become a mathematician.
Describe a time when you led or motivated others?
First we meet together to talk about a particular issue, next I tell them my point of view, now I mention reason of the meeting, the possible challenge we have ahead. Now I give my ideas of what to do, the way to do it and express my enthusiasm and faith and what is coming, that means success in what we pursue. Always allow the participation of anybody who wants to say something, and case of some pessimism I try to persuade him or her or them that´s not the way.
Describe a situation where you were successful in getting people to work together effectively?
In my work place, University of losAndes, is very common discussions for political reasons, that has become a real problem in some cases. In many occasions I have had to act as a mediator in these types of situations, talking, meeting with people and even proposing academic activities in order to relax tensions. This has worked for me and right most of the members of my Department (Math Department) have put aside the political issues.
Describe a situation in which you were a member (not a leader) of a team and a conflict arose within the team. What did you do?
Never happened to me.
Tell me about a time when you were able to change someone’s view point significantly?
I feel grateful because I have reach a goal bur at the same time is a challenge for me since that matter motivate me to put my best effort in future situations.
Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something that you disagreed with?
It depends who is asking me to do that, fortunately in my university nobody is allowed to ask something to somebody. When I was president of an institute of technology in my country in some occasions I was asked to fire some fellow workers, at the beginning I refused but once I asked reason to do that, they convinced me of why those guys had to be fire, so I did it. But it was not an easy task for me.
What your researchers should develop in research?
Because I consider them capable of such challenges they are strong enough to face and solve problems in their corresponding areas of research.
May I know about your research students? How many members awarded with the degree PhD/M.Phil?
I have five research students, actually doctoral student, so far three of them have successfully finished his studies.
By considering all of your research students, who is the best researcher you would like us to know?
Edgar Rosales without doubt.
What is the greatest work done by your research students which have shown greatest impact in that field?
m convexity of set valued maps in linear spaces.
What type of research is going on in your laboratory?
Two different approaches, one is in mathematical models, particularly models of tropical diseases; the other one is convex analysis with emphasis in theory of m convex functions.
Describe a specific problem solved by you?
I understand that the requirement refers to a problem in my field of research, in that case I may mention several of them but since I the question is about one specific problem I will mention the introduction of the concept, properties and consequences of Jensen m convex functions, have several publications in this particular issue.
What is an approach for a problem?
Knowing about it, read literature related to the problem, look into the tools, strategies and possible results, from that on I may set the problem.
Give some commonly faced repercussions in your life with which you failed to meet your deadline?
I consider myself a winner, so I do not feel I failed is something like the subject of the question.
In such situations what are the measures you have taken to avoid such repercussions when the same deadline is set in course of time?
What are the qualities of an ideal student / learner?
Will to learn, respect for his professors/advisors, honesty.
What are the qualities of an ideal teacher?
Good attitude all the time, interaction with student, readiness to help the pupils.
Which stage of education for a child is important?
Elementary School is the prime education for the rest of his life.
Does nationalism has any impact in learning process?
I do not think so but there are different kinds of nationalism that may impact in learning process, but to my knowledge, that is not the case.
Does one education system suit for all set of students across the world?
Depends of region; I mean, geographical conditions, cultural background, and special need that may have the environment where student live. One thing is for sure, no matter where people live education is must in their lives.
How to initiate problem based learning?
Identifying the problem first, learn a lot about it, search strategies to attack it.
What is the goal of education?
Prepare individual for life, facing challenges with real possibilities of success, find a suitable mean of living.
Role of emotional intelligence of a person?
It is important.
How to define a success?
Achievement of something I have been attempting.
How to handle failure?
With calm and deep thoughts about the failure, try to learn about it in order to do it better next time.
Does a person daily routine has an impact in learning?
I believe so.
Finally, what do you suggest the young/upcoming researchers?
Works hard, keep the enthusiasm and never frustrate for failures.
