Francesco Croce
Assistant Professor, Aalto University / ELLIS Institute Finland
PhD Student, Machine Learning (Matthias Hein), Tübingen AI Center
What is your connection to Tübingen, Francesco?
I was a PhD student in the Machine Learning group between 2018 and 2023, supervised by Matthias Hein. During that time, my research focused on adversarial robustness of deep learning models in computer vision tasks.
Is there a memory from your time here that had a lasting positive impact on you?
Among many positive memories, I particularly remember the periods around conference deadlines. When I entered my PhD, I had no idea how they worked and did not expect the rush, excitement, and pressure in the days leading up to a paper submission. These were intense times that I really enjoyed, and from which I learnt how to approach deadlines, prioritize tasks, and, over time, better plan my workflow to avoid last-minute rushes.
As I build my independent research group and learn to supervise students, I often look back to my time in Tübingen for inspiration, trying to recreate the positive dynamics I experienced and benefited from there.
Francesco Croce
Where has your career taken you since, and did your time in Tübingen play a role? If so, how?
After completing my PhD, I spent two years at EPFL as a postdoc and have recently started as an assistant professor at Aalto University and PI at the ELLIS Institute Finland. What I learnt during my PhD about conducting academic research continues to influence my work. Moreover, as I build my independent research group and learn to supervise students, I often look back to my time in Tübingen for inspiration, trying to recreate the positive dynamics I experienced and benefited from there.