ECE Ph.D. Student João Semedo selected to receive Bertucci Graduate Fellowship
The CMU Portugal Program ECE Ph.D. Student João Semedo was selected to receive a Bertucci Graduate Fellowship in the amount of 20 thousand dollars to be applied to his tuition, in December 2016.
The fellowship was created through the generosity of John and Claire Bertucci and it was established to provide merit fellowships to graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees in Engineering in CIT. The award reflects the student’s outstanding work in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
– How did you react when you were informed you were awarded the fellowship?
I was both humbled and delighted. Often, in a Ph.D., it is not possible to get an objective assessment of your progress. In the absence of clear external feedback, students must rely on their internal drive, which is not always easy. This is why it is so important and gratifying to see your own work acknowledged by the broader scientific community.
– Why do you think you were selected to receive the fellowship? Is there a secret you may share with us?
The research question we are working on has attracted a lot of attention due to recent technological developments and the award acknowledges the tools and analysis experience we’ve developed in this field. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to work with a fantastic group of researchers, without whom this work would not have been possible.
– What will be your plans after you receive the fellowship?
This fellowship will allow me to continue pursuing my current line of research and engage with the scientific community by traveling to key conferences.
– Could you please explain us, in a few words, the main subject and objectives of your Ph.D. thesis?
The primary goals of my research are to use neuroscience “big data” to understand how brain areas communicate and to develop new statistical tools specifically tailored to this problem.
December 2016
