Jenni Pippuri-Mäkeläinen, Aalto University

What have you studied and what influenced this choice back in the day?

I started studying electrical engineering at Helsinki University of Technology in 1999. I enjoyed math and physics in school and thought it would be interesting to study those subjects further.

How did you end up being a professor?

I earned my doctorate from Aalto University in 2010. After that, I spent a short time at ABB’s corporate research center in Switzerland. When I returned to Finland, I applied for a position at VTT, where I’ve now worked for over 10 years. In 2023, I had the opportunity to become a part-time Professor of Practice at Aalto University alongside my work at VTT. Teaching at Aalto has brought a refreshing change and new perspectives to my daily work.

What is the best thing about your job?

Many things: the work itself, its meaningfulness, and of course, the colleagues and work communities. I’ve been fortunate.
 

What have been the highlights and key lessons of your career?

Completing my doctoral dissertation and winning my first major research project despite tough competition. It really showed me that difficult doesn’t mean impossible. One of the more recent highlights was successfully completing a large and challenging EU project together with project partners. That experience taught me how far you can get with a willingness to understand others and a constructive attitude. And in the end, perseverance gets you across the finish line.

What do you expect from the future?

I hope to continue working on projects related to electrification and teaching. My bigger goals are still taking shape, and that’s perfectly fine.