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Engineering Talks

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2nd session - Dava Newman (picture: MIT Portugal)

segunda-feira, 15/06/2026
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

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)

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.

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.

+Info: www.eng.uminho.pt

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