Challengers and Relatora

Challengers

Antonio Direito, born in Braga, married, with one child, a son called Salvador. Graduated in Social Education at Superior School of Education in Porto, he also attended the degree in Education at Minho University. After some months at City Hall of Braga, he worked for 4 years at the Social Services of the Minho University. In 2000, he moved to Aveiro, and started working at the City Hall of Aveiro where is now the Head-Chief of the Education Division. He is an active member of 12 Councils of Educational Institutions in Aveiro, and he integrated the task-force that developed the Social Diagnosis and Social Development Plan for Aveiro. He participated in the students association movement, as well as in cultural and sports associations. He was also a member of the Students Academy and “Tuna” of the Superior School of Education in Porto. He loves Martial Arts and practiced Karate and Aikido. Besides member of a Sport club, for 8 years, he was an athlete of handball in Sporting Club of Braga, club from his city and his heart.
Carlos Pascoal Neto, Vice-Rector of the University of Aveiro and Professor of Chemistry Department of the same University. He is graduated in Chemistry from the University of Aveiro and PhD from the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, France. He is a Member of the Center for Research in Ceramics and Composits –CICECO and referee in several international scientific and technical journals. He is also author /co-author of several chapters in books, over 140 scientific articles in international journals (ISI) with peer-review and four patents. He was the Chairman of the Board and Coordinator of the Scientific Commission of DQUA. He was involved in the foundation, development and consolidation of the research and Education in Chemical Engineering at the University of Aveiro. He also contributed to the development of research and post-graduation studies in Chemistry and Technology of Materials and Forest Products. He was a founder and consolidator of a research team in the field of lignocellulosic materials at Department of Chemistry from University of Aveiro. Was co-founder of cooperation platform University-Industry IDPoR – Research and Development in Polymers from Renewable Sources, an initiative involving the University of Aveiro, and a number of prestigious national companies.

Relatora

Lusitana Maria Geraldes da Fonseca was born on 6th February 1952 and graduated in 1975 in Electrical Engineering (Telecommunications) , University of Coimbra. She began her career as an assistant at the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra and then joined the Centre for Studies and Telecommunications (CET), where she assumed various positions until being it´s director in 1998. Between 1999 and 2002 she was a member of the Executive Board of PT Inovação, SA and between 2002 and 2005 she was Councilwoman of Câmara Municipal of Aveiro. She is currently a member of the General Council of the University of Aveiro, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association Aveiro Digital and member of the Board of Fundação para a Computação Científica Nacional –FCCN. From 2000 to 2007 she was the manager of the Aveiro Digital Program. Since 1990 she has been an expert invited by NATO, DGXIII and DG INFSO for evaluation and audit international R&D projects in the areas of intelligent networks, Distance education and training, Services for SME´s, Telemedicine, Tele monitoring, Commerce, Electronic transactions and GRID computing.