José M. F. Moura, Philip L. and Marsha Dowd University Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the CMU Portugal Program at CMU, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering (Canada) during its June 12th convocation ceremony.
Following this distinction, Amir Asif, York University’s Vice-President Research and Innovation, praised Moura for embodying the spirit of discovery and impact: “We celebrate a career defined not only by excellence but by impact, passing knowledge, fostering collaboration and helping create solutions for a better world for our graduates.”
José M. F. Moura, serves as CMU Portugal Program’s Director at CMU since its inception in 2006. Holding 19 patents, he is a leading expert in signal processing and machine learning. The technology of two of his patents (co-inventor A. Kavcic) is found in over 3 billion disk drives (60% of all computers sold since 2003) and was the subject of a 750 million dollar settlement between CMU and Marvell in 2016.
In his speech, Moura addressed the quick rise of technology, such as AI and robotics, emphasizing that the world still deeply depends on human values and ethical leadership to guide these developments into creating positive global change.
Reflecting on his own journey from Mozambique to Europe and the U.S., Moura delivered an empowering final message to the Class of 2026: “Where you start does not determine where you can go.”
CMU Portugal Articles featuring José M.F. Moura:
- José Fonseca de Moura: The vision behind a transatlantic transformation
- José M. F. Moura Receives IEEE Haraden Pratt Award
- José M.F. Moura awarded with prestigious Doctor Honoris Causa by Universidade de Lisboa
- Carnegie Mellon’s José M.F. Moura Receives Dowd Professorship in Engineering