Alexandra Branzan Albu

Dr. Alexandra Branzan Albu is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Victoria. She holds additional roles as Program Director for the Electrical Engineering program and Chair of the Academic Women Caucus. Her research focuses on computer vision applications in environmental monitoring, medical imaging, and document analysis. She earned her BSc, MSc, and PhD from the University of Bucharest and is a Professional Engineer (PEng).

Education:

• BSc in Electrical Engineering
• MSc in Electrical Engineering
• PhD in Electrical Engineering

Research Interests:

• Computer vision for underwater environmental monitoring (collaborations with ASL Environmental Sciences, Ocean Networks Canada)
• Medical imaging analysis and bioprosthetic heart valve durability assessment
• Document image retrieval and segmentation (e.g., mixed-media documents, business forms)
• Deep learning architectures for low-light image enhancement and anomaly detection

Teaching Approach: Emphasizes problem-based learning and experiential education through hands-on projects. Courses include Computer Vision (ECE471/536) and Medical Image Processing (ECE435/BME403). Published pedagogical research explores societal impacts of technology and critical thinking development in STEM education.

Labs & Collaborations:

• Active partnerships with industry (Cascadia Seaweed, VIVITRO Labs, SAP Canada)
• Leadership in underwater image analysis projects using Ocean Networks Canada's observatory data
• Development of Imageria outreach initiatives to increase women's participation in engineering