On Friday, May 13th the CMU Portugal Program hosted a Workshop where CMU Portugal researchers and Ph.D. students addressed their ongoing research work in collaboration between Portugal and CMU. The researchers presented to Professor Manuel Heitor and the Portugal delegation visiting Pittsburgh in honor of the CMU Commencement Ceremony.
Professor Manuel Heitor was accompanied by Joana Mendonça, Associate Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, and President of ANI; Rosalia Vargas, President Ciência Viva; Pedro Russo, Assistant Professor at Leiden University and Ciência Viva Board Member; Pedro Conceição, Director, UNDP; Teresa Heitor, Full Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico; Valentina Nisi, Associate Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico; Joana Valsassina, Curator; Nuno Nunes, National Co-Director of the CMU Portugal Program; José M.F. Moura, Director of the CMU Portugal Program at CMU; Sílvia Castro, CMU Portugal Executive Director in Portugal; and Megan Berty, CMU Portugal Associate Director at CMU.
The session included presentations from Professor David Garlan (CSD), PI of the Large Scale Collaborative Research Project CAMELOT via Zoom; Professors Lining Yao (HCII), Carmel Majidi (MechE), and Michael Vinciguerra (PhD, MechE), PIs of the Exploratory Research Project Exoskins and the Large Scale Collaborative Research Project WoW. Professors Limin Jia (ECE) followed with a presentation on the recently awarded Exploratory Research Project DIVINA; followed by Professor Jodi Forlizzi (HCII) on shiftHRI. Professors Ruben Martins (CS), Justine Sherry (CS, ECE), Erica Fuchs (EPP), and Granger Morgan (EPP), shared the research work they are conducting with their respective Dual Degree PhD students, Margarida de Almeida (CS) Miguel Ferreira (ECE), and Afonso Amaral (EPP). Professor Manuel Heitor closed the session with remarks on governing data ecologies, knowledge and innovation in times of uncertainty.
The session was followed by a Networking Reception with the CMU Portugal Dual Degree PhD students currently at CMU, CMU Faculty and Advisors, CMU Portugal Alumni, and Visiting Students from Portugal.
Later in the day, Professor Manuel Heitor received an honorary Doctor of Science and Technology degree from Carnegie Mellon University. He also delivered the keynote address at the Commencement ceremony for 2020, 2021, and 2022 master’s and doctoral degree graduates.
Manuel Heitor has served as Portugal’s Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education between 2015- 2022 and as the Portuguese Secretary of State of Science, Technology and Higher Education between 2005-2011. Heitor has been a longtime supporter of the CMU Portugal Program and of all its initiatives, strengthening the relationship between Carnegie Mellon and the Portuguese scientific and innovation ecosystem throughout the years.
