Martin Skrodzki earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from the FU in 2019, following his 2014 master's degree. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the 'Computer Graphics and Visualization Group' at the Department of Computer Science at the TU Delft, Netherlands.

Did you get a doctorate? Why? Why not?

Yes, I did my doctoral work directly after my master's degree in the same research group where I wrote my master's thesis. I pursued my doctorate primarily because it was the first step in my academic career.After my studies, I knew that I enjoyed teaching and researching, and I was fortunate to receive a scholarship through the Berlin Mathematical School (BMS) that enabled me to pursue a doctorate.

If so, in retrospect, did it make sense for you to pursue a doctorate?

It made a lot of sense for me to pursue a doctorate, as an academic career usually involves a doctorate as the first step, followed by one or more postdoctoral stays, and finally (hopefully) a position as a lecturer or professor. It happened to me exactly like this: After my doctorate at the Free University of Berlin, I was first a postdoc at the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM) in the USA, then at the RIKEN Institute in Japan, and finally at the TU Delft in the Netherlands. I was then able to transition to a position as an Assistant Professor at my last job. This was all started with the promotion. She also dictated the content and direction of my scientific work and progress.

However, a doctorate is also a big undertaking. After three years, my studies ended, and I had to take a half-time job in a company while I was in my final year of doctoral studies to finance my dissertation. There were moments when I doubted the purpose of this endeavor. I was fortunate to have a fantastic group of colleagues who always supported me. Therefore, in retrospect, I would say that the selection of the working group for the doctorate is just as important as the decision to pursue a doctorate in the first place.

What knowledge or skills did you acquire in your studies that you didn't think you'd ever need?

In my scientific work, I naturally use much of the specialized knowledge I acquired during my studies. What surprised me here is how many new topics I have had to learn about since my graduation, both during my doctoral studies and afterwards. The ability to quickly decide between important and unimportant information, to proceed in a structured manner, and to be able to abstract is certainly crucial in this regard.

What surprised me equally is that these skills are also very useful for me in all non-scientific activities at the university. Whether it's administrative tasks, such as preparing invoices or reviewing rulebooks, I can always benefit from the ability I acquired during my studies to abstract things, recognize connections and larger contexts, and then communicate them logically and clearly to others.

What would you have liked to have done or learned during your studies?

I spent a year abroad between my bachelor's and master's degrees. Looking back, this year was extremely enriching for me and also gave me a lot of energy for the master's degree. Of course, I was able to travel to scientific conferences abroad during my doctoral studies, and I was even allowed to complete a longer stay at Tel Aviv University. In retrospect, however, it is clear to me that it is always about the (scientific) work. I would also have liked to spend a semester or even a year abroad during my master's degree. At the time, I was afraid that it would look bad on my resume because I would be older than my classmates. Today, I see that there are many diverse successful resumes.

Many colleagues at the university have interrupted their studies, and almost always the experiences made during this interruption are more valuable than finishing a half or a whole year earlier.

At TU Delft, where I work now, there's even a structured system that supports such interruptions: Dream Teams. Students in Bachelor's and Master's programs are invited to apply to join one of the Dream Teams and work on a challenging project with an interdisciplinary team for a year. Examples of the projects include: building a solar car, an exoskeleton, or a satellite. Such practical experience is invaluable, just as I learned a lot about time management and organization during my last year of my doctorate when I worked in parallel to my doctorate.

Why did you decide on your current career?

Science has always fascinated me. However, I have always enjoyed working with people, especially in the transmission of knowledge. As an assistant professor, I get to do many things that I enjoy: I give lectures and organize projects, I work with students on their thesis projects, and I get to do research in teams. Of course, there are also exhausting days and boring tasks, but they are quickly forgotten when I have a student sitting in front of me again, who enthusiastically shows me the latest results from the current project.

What recommendations do you have for students who want to complete their studies in a timely manner?

Take your time and experiment. Do internships and get a feel for the work environment before signing a contract. This is especially true in science: Before deciding on a doctorate, for example, you should definitely get to know the research group, the university environment, and the working conditions. Talk to other PhD students, learn about the atmosphere, and make an informed decision. It's never a bad idea to keep looking to find the place that's really right for you.