Striving for Sustainability: Meet Pelin

This weblog is a part of our concentrate on Cisco workers who’re “Striving for Sustainability” by discovering alternatives to combine sustainability of their day-to-day work.

After I introduced the corporate’s subsequent era environmental sustainability technique, The Plan for Attainable, final July, it led Cisco workers to marvel how one can additional combine sustainability into their work. And this may be finished in some ways, it doesn’t matter what space you’re employed in.

Meet Pelin Salem. She is a Radio Regulatory Technical Chief at Cisco who spearheaded an initiative on check optimization at Cisco to scale back testing time, enhance power effectivity, and assist cut back greenhouse gasoline (GHG) emissions. She shares extra about her curiosity in sustainability, her skilled background, and the way collaboration is significant when creating new local weather options.

When did your curiosity in sustainability start?

Pelin: I’ve at all times been related to nature and animals, volunteering for environmental and animal welfare causes. As a seventh grader, I served on the youth management staff for a Turkish non-governmental group (NGO) often known as the TEMA Basis (The Turkish Basis for Combating Soil Erosion). I organized a youth march to protest the air pollution generated by an iron and metal works manufacturing facility, which was very effectively obtained and helped the neighborhood acknowledge that the subsequent era is attempting to do one thing good and assist.

Later in my life, whereas dwelling in Sonoma, California, through the fall of 2017 with my then 6-month-old daughter, we skilled the worry of a pure catastrophe when a fireplace burned down half of the encompassing neighborhoods, and ash rained from the sky for weeks. It was very heartbreaking, and a number of other of our associates and colleagues wakened in the midst of the night time to their homes burning, and so they needed to run away barefoot from their properties and misplaced all the pieces they owned. It was a troublesome time to see everybody undergo, and there have been aftereffects, just like the air high quality not enhancing for a number of months in that area. Since local weather change can exacerbate pure disasters like wildfires, I knew we couldn’t proceed what we had been doing. It made me understand that I ought to do my best possible to assist sustainability initiatives.

Inform us extra about your skilled journey and what introduced you to Cisco.

Pelin: My journey started with a bachelor’s diploma in electrical engineering (EE), then I immersed myself within the protection business whereas pursuing my grasp’s diploma in EE. Nevertheless, academia beckoned, and I seized the chance to embark on a Ph.D. journey. When my husband was provided a place at a newly established worldwide analysis establishment, King Abdullah College of Science and Expertise (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, I paused my research to hitch him. At KAUST, I delved into bioscience pursuing a second grasp’s diploma, pushed by a need to merge my radio frequency (RF) experience with biomedical analysis that might make a constructive influence on humankind. After a rewarding break to concentrate on elevating my daughter and finishing my Ph.D., I discovered my skilled dwelling at Cisco in January 2019. The corporate’s supportive tradition and management resonate deeply with me, and I envision it as the place I’ll construct my future profession and retire sometime.

Are you able to clarify the way you began your work supporting sustainability at Cisco?

Pelin: I at present work as a Radio Regulatory Technical Chief inside the Company Compliance staff below the Product and Element Operations Crew. Previous to my present function, I served as a New Product Introduction Take a look at Improvement Engineer inside the Industrial Web of Issues enterprise unit (IOTBU). Throughout my time within the IOTBU, I targeted on designing manufacturing check traces within the factories for brand new merchandise. This concerned shut collaboration with our manufacturing companions to design environment friendly check traces.

Cisco’s dedication to high quality meant rigorous testing of merchandise, which contributed to GHG emissions, particularly in energy-intensive testing areas just like the 2-Nook and 4-Nook check sections the place the manufactured Cisco merchandise are examined on the high-low temperature and voltage specification limits to assist high efficiency on the edges of the outlined operational circumstances. 2-Nook testing is completed at Excessive Temperature – Excessive Voltage and Low Temperature – Low Voltage corners, whereas 4-Nook testing has extra corners as follows: Excessive Temperature – Low Voltage and Low Temperature – Excessive Voltage. Restricted capability in these areas may result in delays in manufacturing schedules.

To sort out these challenges, I initiated the “Take a look at Optimization Dashboard” venture in March 2021. This venture aimed to automate and visualize the influence of check optimization efforts, lowering the time wanted for optimization and rising staff enthusiasm. Working intently with sustainability subject material consultants (SMEs), we developed strategies to measure GHG emissions reductions ensuing from optimization.

After profitable pilots, I introduced our findings to executives, gaining assist for wider implementation throughout enterprise models. Transitioning to automated workflows streamlined the optimization course of, considerably lowering guide entry. Collaborating with consultants, we developed plans for additional enhancements, together with a man-made intelligence (AI)-based mannequin to estimate power consumption.

Our ongoing efforts embody accumulating information to coach AI fashions for GHG emissions monitoring. By highlighting the environmental influence of testing processes and advocating for optimization, we purpose to advance sustainability, product high quality and innovation.

This seems like a posh venture. What sort of assist did you obtain for it?

I’m grateful for all of the SMEs collaborating with me on this Cisco-wide effort. Cisco has high expertise in such various areas, and I really feel privileged to know them and get to work with them. My present group was additionally supportive and offered me with the house to proceed contributing to Cisco’s sustainability targets past my “common job” duties.

I’m eternally grateful that our Government Vice President and Basic Supervisor of Cisco Networking Jonathan Davidson opened such essential doorways for me and this venture, and his assist was invaluable for the Take a look at Optimization Dashboard to succeed in a 75% enablement charge throughout Cisco. Receiving invaluable assist and steerage from my government mentors and sponsors immensely helped ideate, find sources, and develop options that may assist advance sustainability in manufacturing processes.

We all know it takes a multifaceted method on the subject of sustainability. What can Cisco workers do of their day-to-day jobs to assist cut back our firm’s environmental influence?

Pelin: Everyone can accomplish that a lot. For instance, Cisco has a purpose that 100% of recent Cisco merchandise and packaging incorporate Round Design Rules by Cisco´s fiscal yr 2025. And, in one other instance, packaging engineers are serving to to get rid of plastic luggage, papers, and take away accent objects that aren’t required for the standard configuration in our packaging wherever doable.

Some engineers at Cisco work on IoT expertise utilized in good constructing expertise that senses when lights ought to be turned off or blinds ought to be lowered. And our operations staff moved away from paper cups and different single-use objects in our break rooms and cafeterias.

Is there something you do in your private life to be extra sustainable, and in that case, what recommendation do you might have for others?

Pelin: At dwelling, I prioritize sustainability by lowering waste, conserving power, selecting environmentally pleasant merchandise, supporting native and natural choices, minimizing water utilization, using lower-emissions transportation (driving an electrical car or utilizing public transit, maintaining flight GHG emission scores into consideration when selecting flights, and many others.). I additionally educate my daughter (who simply turned 7) on making higher decisions for the planet.

Let’s begin small with actions like recycling correctly, conserving power, and supporting native companies. Each effort, regardless of how small, helps to contribute to a extra sustainable future.

Thanks for giving me this chance to share my story and I hope it will likely be inspiring for others to begin making change for a extra sustainable future inside their domains.

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