quarta-feira, 28/10/2026
Campus de Azurém, Guimarães
The School of Engineering regularly welcomes leading international professors and researchers, bringing fresh ideas, experiences, and perspectives. As part of these visits, “Engineering Talks” are promoted and open to the community, creating unique opportunities to engage with cutting-edge knowledge and international networks.
AGENDA
28 October 2026, 14h30 | Gualtar Campus, Building 2 | Auditorium B2
Dan Stanzione, Texas Advanced Computing Center, UT-Austin - Title: "What’s on the Horizon: The NSF Leadership Computing Facility, hot research topics in high performance computing, and challenges in the research computing markets"
- Organiser/Promoter: Programme Directors, Master’s in Advanced Computing
- Partnership: UTAustin Portugal
- Info: Dr. Dan Stanzione, Associate Vice President for Research at The University of Texas at Austin and Executive Director of the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), is a nationally recognized leader in high performance computing, and has been involved in supercomputing for more than 30 years. He is the principal investigator (PI) for a number of the National Science Foundation (NSF) supercomputers, including the current Frontera system, which is the fastest supercomputer at a U.S. university, and is leading the upcoming NSF Leadership Class Computing Facility. Stanzione received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and his master’s degree and doctorate in computer engineering from Clemson University.
19 October 2026, 11h00 | Azurém Campus, Building 1 | Room 2.009 (Sala de Reuniões 1 DEC)
Narges
Azadvar, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, School
of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Sheffield (UK)
- Title: "Composite Strengthening of Existing
Structures: From FRP and TRM Seismic Retrofitting to Low-Carbon Textile-Mortar
Systems"
- Organiser/Promoter: Pier Giovanni Benzo, investigador de pós-doutoramento (projeto CirWind, coord. Prof. José Sena-Cruz), Departamento de Engenharia Civil
- Partnership: Departamento de Engenharia Civil / ISISE
- Info: Strengthening and
rehabilitation of existing structures are increasingly important for improving
seismic resilience and extending the service life of the built environment.
This seminar traces a research journey from conventional fibre-reinforced
polymer (FRP) systems to textile-reinforced mortar/concrete (TRM/TRC) and, more
recently, low-carbon inorganic-matrix composites. It covers experimental and
numerical studies on FRP- and TRC-strengthened reinforced-concrete columns
under axial and cyclic loading, and on TRM-strengthened masonry walls under
combined seismic actions. The final part introduces the ongoing Marie
Skłodowska-Curie project STRENGTH (University of Sheffield), which is
developing AR-glass textile-reinforced geopolymer mortar as a low-carbon
strengthening solution, with a focus on textile-mortar bond behaviour and
interface modelling. The session closes with open technical questions and
opportunities for collaboration.
- Bio: Narges Azadvar
is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Sheffield,
specialising in advanced composite systems and low-carbon materials for
structural strengthening. She holds a PhD in Structural Engineering (2021) and
has worked on more than 20 academic and industry-supported projects in
structural rehabilitation, cementitious composites and finite-element
modelling. She has published on FRP/TRC-strengthened concrete columns and
TRM-strengthened masonry walls, co-authored two book chapters and developed a
patented strengthening system. Her current MSCA project, STRENGTH, focuses on
AR-glass textile-reinforced geopolymer mortar for low-carbon strengthening of
substandard structures.
9 September 2026, 11h00 | Azurém Campus, Building 11 | Room 1.34 (Auditório do DSI)
Célio Albuquerque, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Brasil
- Title: "Redes Sem Fios Inteligentes: Desafios e Oportunidades para a Próxima Geração de Sistemas Conectados"
- Organiser: Vinicius Corrêa Ferreira, Professor Auxiliar, Departamento de Sistemas de Informação
- Partnership: Centro Algoritmi
- Info: O seminário aborda temas emergentes em redes sem fios inteligentes e sistemas conectados de próxima geração, nomeadamente CSI Sensing (Channel State Information Sensing), redes sem fios densas, segurança em sistemas ciber-físicos (CPS Security) e comunicação multimédia em redes sem fios.
- Bio: Célio Albuquerque é Professor Titular da UFF (Brasil), doutorado pela University of California, Irvine, com formação em Engenharia Elétrica pela UFRJ. Exerceu cargos de liderança académica e científica, incluindo a coordenação do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Computação da UFF, a direção do LARC e a integração no Conselho de Administração da RNP. É bolsista de produtividade do CNPq (PQ-1D) e Cientista do Nosso Estado (FAPERJ). Coordena o laboratório MídiaCom, investigando comunicação de dados multimédia, redes sem fios, computação móvel e distribuição de conteúdo.
23 July 2026, 10h30 | Azurém Campus, Building 7, Room 1.01
Gabriel Guerrero-Contreras and Sara Balderas-Díaz, Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Cadiz (Spain)
- Title: "Context Aware AI for Smarter Cities"
- Organiser/Promoter: Grupo de Inteligência Artificial da Universidade do Minho
- Partnership: Departamento de Informática and Centro Algoritmi/LASI
- Abstract: How can Artificial Intelligence help us build healthier and safer cities? This talk will explore context-aware and multimodal AI approaches for urban and health-related monitoring, including air-pollution prediction, synthetic data generation, sensor data-quality enhancement, and sound-based siren detection. By combining environmental, mobility, IoT and acoustic data, the talk will show how AI can support earlier detection, more reliable forecasting and better decision-making in real-world smart-city and assisted-living scenarios.
- Short CV: Gabriel Guerrero-Contreras and Sara Balderas-Díaz received their B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Granada, Spain. They are currently Assistant Professors at the University of Cádiz, Spain. Their research interests include artificial intelligence, machine learning, distributed and self-adaptive systems, cybersecurity, intelligent environments, and air quality prediction.
15 June 2026, 11h00 | Azurém Campus, Building 9, Room 0.04
Rui A. Gonçalves, Assistant Chair (Student Development) - School of Materials Science and Engineering - Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
- Title: "Materials Research in Singapore"
- Partnership: IPC - Institute for Polymers and Composites (Director - António Pontes)
- Abstract: This seminar offers an integrated perspective on research in Materials Science and Engineering in Singapore, linking the institutional framework of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) with examples of research carried out at the School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). The organisational structures, funding models and academic practices that underpin scientific productivity will be discussed, as well as the role of shared characterisation facilities — notably the Facility for Analysis, Characterisation, Testing and Simulation (FACTS) — which provides advanced microscopy, X-ray diffraction and surface analysis, supporting research from the atomic to the macroscopic scale. In the second part of the seminar, research on colloids and functional nanomaterials for surface modification will be presented, including the thermotropic control of lamellar phases for film deposition and the development of coatings with copper nanoparticles exhibiting high antibacterial efficacy. It will be demonstrated how the integration of infrastructure, organisation, and science drives innovation in materials.
28 May 2026, 11h30 | Azurém Campus, Main Building, Room 0.20 (B1.10)
Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics, MIT (photos)
- Title: "Exploring Optimistic Space Futures"
- Partnership: MIT Portugal and New Space Portugal
- Short CV: Dava Newman is the Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics at MIT and former Director of the MIT Media Lab, internationally recognized for her pioneering contributions to aerospace biomedical engineering, astronaut performance in extreme environments, and next-generation spacesuit design. As former NASA Deputy Administrator (2015–2017), she played a central role in shaping the agency’s vision for human exploration of Mars, innovation, and future space technologies. With more than 350 scientific publications, numerous patents, and extensive experience leading spaceflight research on the Space Shuttle, MIR, and the International Space Station, her work bridges space exploration, health, engineering, design, AI, climate, and sustainability. A strong advocate for interdisciplinary research connecting science, technology, policy, and human-centered innovation, she was awarded an honoris causa doctorate by the University of Minho in 2023.
23 April 2026, 14h30 | Azurém Campus, room 2-2.09
Youssef Maaloufa, Associate Professor in Civil Engineering, National School of Architecture Agadir, Morocco
- Title: "Seismic damage to Moroccan earthen heritage: A post-disaster analysis of the 2023 Al Haouz earthquake"
- Abstract: Earthen architecture, a cornerstone of the High Atlas cultural identity, relies on the use of rammed earth, adobe, and stone, materials valued for their thermal properties but intrinsically vulnerable to seismic tensile forces. This study, supported by technical expertise and conducted across several douars within an 11 to 70 km radius of the epicentre, analyses the structural response of a wide variety of frameworks to the extreme accelerations of 2023. In situ observations reveal that while failures are often linked to topographic site effects and the incompatibility of modern additions, a notable resilience persists where traditional constructive devices have been preserved.
- Short CV: Youssef Maaloufa is an Associate Professor at the National School of Architecture Agadir, holding a PhD in civil engineering. With a career spanning over two decades, he bridges the gap between high-level academic research and practical industry expertise. His research focuses on sustainable construction, with a specific emphasis on the thermomechanical characterization of bio-sourced materials and traditional and contemporary structural systems, exploring how vernacular techniques can be optimized for modern resilience. He has authored and co-authored more than 30 scientific papers in international journals and conferences.
- Partnership: Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE)
+Info: www.eng.uminho.pt
