Meet your teacher - Dr Mark Butala
Published: 6 June 2025
This issue we shine the spotlight on Dr Mark Butala, a lecturer at our Hainan campus who is passionate about teaching - and outer space!
As the Glasgow College team continues to grow, we are happy to provide staff both 'old' and 'new' with a chance to introduce themselves to readers. This time we turn the spotlight on Dr Mark Butala, who joined our partnership in 2024 as a Senior Lecturer, based at Glasgow and teaching primarily on our Hainan campus.
Which subjects do you teach?
- Introductory Programming and Embedded Processors
Which fields of research are you most interested in and why?
Remote sensing, signal and image processing, machine learning, and space science.
I am continually fascinated by how one can learn and understand the structure and dynamics of a complex system through indirect observation. Case in point: computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging can be used to peer inside a patient, enabling medical diagnosis without the need of direct, surgical investigation. How cool is that?
What is the most memorable project you have been involved in at Glasgow College UESTC or elsewhere and why?
A highlight of my career was my involvement as part of a large, dedicated, and extremely talented team that successfully landed the Curiosity rover on Mars. I should mention that I never worked directly on the Curiosity rover, but did get to see it in its final assembly and certification phases. My group's mission role was to support the remote, radar tracking system so that the navigators could position the vehicle for proper entry, descent, and landing. Specifically, we produced global ionosphere maps estimated from a world-wide network of scientific-grade GPS receivers. Our estimated maps were used to remove ionospheric delay from the Deep Space Network radar signals, enabling tracking at the required accuracy. Our most critical contribution occurred on 18.7.2012, the final course correction before the successful landing later on 6.8.2012. It was just one contribution in a multitude, but it was a satisfying one!
Can you tell us about a proud moment working at Glasgow College, UESTC?
The stature of both the University of Glasgow and University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the ability to maintain connections and contact with China while living with my family in Scotland, and the opportunity to join a program under active and intense growth.
What is the best thing about Hainan as a place to visit?
One of the best and unexpected things I like about Hainan is the fruit in general and the mangoes in particular. Fresh coconut milk is wonderful and inexpensive in Hainan, but I never sought out a mango before having one there. When in season, Hainan mangoes are sweet, dripping, and taste like candy. A fruit seller near the apartments was savvy enough to offer a free sample on our first visit and she is one of the first people I make sure to visit when I return.
What or who inspired you to study engineering?
In high school, I recall learning that ballistic projectiles follow a parabolic path in physics class. The parameters of the parabola depend on initial conditions and cover all cases. When I explained this to my father, a chemical engineer, and the beauty of this perfection and direct connection to mathematics, he suggested that I think like an engineer. I never considered this before. The rest is history.
What do you find most exciting professionally when you think about the next 3-5 years?
I have now had the opportunity to join a joint institute in its infancy for the second time in my career. I am excited to take part in the immense growth awaiting our Hainan programme. From prior experience, I anticipate challenge and struggle but also satisfaction in meeting the new demands each semester.
Tell us about your hobbies and interests outside of work:
I enjoy eating almost as much as I enjoy cooking.
What do you most enjoy cooking?
When in China, I adopt a local style and make heavy use of the wok, cleaver, and cooking with oil at high heat using fresh, seasonal vegetables from the nearby wet market. Back home in Scotland, my favorite dish to share is a braised short rib beef stroganoff, and am also known for putting together Tex-Mex nights with fresh guacamole and salsa, homemade tortilla crisps, and street tacos.
First published: 6 June 2025