CV

General Information

Full Name Mario Alejandro Hevia Fajardo
Date of Birth 18th December 1992
Languages English, Spanish

Research Interests

  • Evolutionary computation
    • Evolutionary Algorithms
    • Competitive Coevolutionary Algorithms
    • Runtime analysis
  • Black-box optimisation
  • Combinatorial optimisation

Work Experience

  • 2022 - Present
    Research Fellow in the group of Prof Per Kristian Lehre
    University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
    • Turing AI Acceleration fellowship project on coevolution.
  • 2019 - 2021
    Graduate Teaching Assistant
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
  • 2016 - 2017
    Field Service Engineer
    Festo Pneumatic, Mexico, Mexico.
  • 2015 - 2016
    Project Engineer
    Festo Pneumatic, Mexico, Mexico.
  • 2013 - 2014
    Initiative Operation Leader
    Procter & Gamble, Mexico, Mexico.

Education

  • 2019 - 2022
    PhD Computer Science
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
    • Runtime Analysis of Success-Based Parameter Control Mechanisms for Evolutionary Algorithms on Multimodal Problems.
  • 2017 - 2018
    MSc Data Analytics (1st - Distinction)
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
    • Comparison and Modification of Self-Adjusting Evolutionary Algorithms.
  • 2010 - 2014
    BSc Mechatronics Engineering (Distinction)
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
    • CENEVAL award for the “EGEL–Excellence Performance”.
    • Outstanding participation in the high performance academic group, Principia 2010–2012

Honors and Awards

  • 2021
    Best paper award
    ACM Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO)
    • Award in the prestigious “Theory” track.
  • 2014
    CENEVAL award for “EGEL–Excellence Performance”
    National Evaluation Center for Higher Education (CENEVAL)
    • Excelent performance in the General Exam for the Graduate Degree (EGEL)
    • ∼1% of graduates at national level
  • 2010
    First place in the XII Mathematics Contest High School Category Federation Phase.
    Federation of Private Schools of the State of Mexico (FEPEM)

Grants

  • 2019 - 2022
    Doctoral Scholarship from the Department of Computer Science
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
    • Full UK/EU tuition fee and maintenance stipend for three years (approximately £60k)
  • 2020 - 2023
    CONACYT Scholarship for Doctorate Studies Abroad 2020
    National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT)
    • Largest doctorate scholarship offered by CONACYT at the time (approximately £47k)
  • 2010 - 2014
    Scholarship for Undergraduate Studies
    Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM)

Teaching Experience

  • Autumn 2020/2021
    Tutorials - Advanced Algorithms,
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
  • Spring 2020/2021
    Teaching Assistant - Scalable Machine Learning,
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
  • Spring 2019/2020
    Tutorials - Introduction to Algorithms and Data Structures
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
  • Spring 2019/2020
    Teaching Assistant - Scalable Machine Learning,
    University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
  • Spring 2019/2020
    Instructor - Industrial training courses and seminars
    Festo Pneumatic, Mexico, Mexico
    • Programming PLC
    • Electric drives/motors
    • 3-dimensional gantries
    • Image processing
    • Network communication
  • Spring 2014
    Personal tutor
    Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM)
    • Personal lessons to undergraduate students in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering

Professional Activities

  • Organising Committees
  • Reviewer for journals
    • Information Sciences
    • Theoretical Computer Science
    • IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation
  • Program Committee Memberships
    • Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO) 2023

Other Interests

  • AI for videogames
  • Quantum computing
  • Astrophysics
  • History of life on Earth