A data scientist of British Indian origin, hailing from Maharashtra, clinched the Newcomer of the Year award at the 2023 RailStaff Awards in Birmingham.
Smital Dhake, the sole data scientist at Alstom, a major player in mobility, was born in Jalgaon, India, and pursued education at Watford Grammar School in England and later at King’s College London. Now 26, she works from Alstom’s Hatfield office in eastern England. Inspired by her grandparents’ work ethic, she aims to further hone her skills and apply them toward advancing engineering technologies.
“Smital is a fast learner who always finds ways to seek knowledge and grow herself in an exponential manner,” said Mifaz Miftha, Design Group Manager at Alstom.
He added, “She regularly takes on much more complex tasks above her role and delivers them with full commitment and with a high level of accuracy. Her meticulous approach to problem-solving and critical thinking on design have made Smital an asset to Alstom and the wider railway industry where innovation and sustainability are key to growth.”
Dhake draws inspiration from her grandparents, motivating her to dedicate herself to hard work. Her ambition lies in perpetually refining and utilizing her skills to contribute to the advancement of engineering technologies.
The 26-year-old scientist is often said to be an “enormous inspiration” to young women who want to pursue a career in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) category.
Miftha also said, “Smital has used her own time to visit numerous schools promoting careers in engineering and sustainability.”
The RailStaff Awards were initiated in 2007. It aims to honour the remarkable contributions of individuals within the rail industry, acknowledging those who play pivotal roles in sustaining the UK’s railways – spanning from drivers and cleaners to engineers and station staff.
As the sole national accolade program for UK rail personnel, these awards frequently highlight narratives of saved lives, transformed careers, and triumph over adversity.
Dhake joined Alstom’s Digital and Integrated Systems (D&IS) UK signaling division, based in Hertfordshire, to collaborate on the pioneering Modular Advanced Route Setting (M-ARS) system.
This groundbreaking M-ARS system for the UK railway, integrating machine learning techniques like reinforcement learning, utilises real-time data to anticipate future occurrences.
This capability facilitates swift decision-making to resolve conflicting train movements, consequently amplifying railway efficiency.
Alstom has indicated that its M-ARS system is presently undergoing the approval process by Network Rail, with Smital playing an instrumental role in this evaluation. Once approved, the M-ARS system will be implemented across various prominent rail projects.
source/content: timesnownews.com (headline edited)