photographist

“ I studied mechanical engineering in Brazil; which is originally where I am from. First, my mum wanted me to be a dentist. I was able to show her that being a mechanical engineer is also a female job, even though I was the only one in my class at the University of Campinas. When I was 18, a professor of Physics offered me a position in a scientific initiation programme although he really did not want me because I was a woman. It has been 30 years and I still get emails from him almost every day. You could see his eyes shine when he talked about research. His name is Aruy Marotta and thanks to him, I associate research with passion. When I finished my studies in engineering, I started working at ALSTOM and they sent me to France in order to specialise in hydraulics. I did a lot of research in many different areas.

My thesis was on cavitation erosion. Today’s key words in research and fluid mechanics are cavitation and turbo-machinery (pumps and turbines). I am especially interested in unstable systems and in the coupling these machines with surrounding circuits. I work a lot in partnership with different industrialists. I am a University professor since 2008 and in charge of several PhD students. The presence of young people in research is a great asset; they contribute new insight by criticizing constructively what has already been done. My PhD students are my main collaborators and I learn a lot from them. When research is well done, it solves certain problems and raises new questions. Research makes us grow, help us question ourselves, and gives us wings...”

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