Ph.D. Student Investigates New Techniques to Improve Speech Recognition

João Miranda is a dual degree Ph.D. student in Language Technologies at the Instituto Superior Técnico of the Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (IST/UTL) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), within the CMU Portugal Program. As part of his Ph.D., he is developing new techniques to improve speech recognition, with his two advisors, João Paulo Neto, from IST/UTL, and Alan W. Black, from CMU.

Read the full article at http://www.cmuportugal.org/tiercontent.aspx?id=4618.

Ph.D. Student Chooses Portugal to Study Renewable Energy Policies

Ivonne Penã is a dual degree Ph.D. student of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) since 2010/2011. As part of her Ph.D., Ivonne Penã is investigating the impact of policies, grid connection rights and the goals of countries in terms of a widespread use of renewable energies in the European Union, using Portugal as a case study.

Read the full article at http://www.cmuportugal.org/tiercontent.aspx?id=4656.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Workshop

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REGISTRATIONS ARE OPEN

June 20, 2013

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Workshop

Place: Pavilhão do Conhecimento, Lisbon

Organized by: Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program, funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia 

More information: http://www.cmuportugal.org/tiercontent.aspx?id=4658

OPEN CALL FOR THE PITCH COACHING SESSION "PRODUCT IDEA"

Deadline to submit a proposal: June 14, 2013 (extended deadline)

More information: http://www.cmuportugal.org/tiercontent.aspx?id=4660 

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On June 20, 2013, the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program will hold the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Workshop, at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento, in Lisbon. This half-day event (13:00 – 18:00) will combine a Pitch Coaching Session "Product Idea" with Case Studies on “Multiple Paths for Technology Commercialization," and will finish with a roundtable about "The Life of Intellectual Property." The goal of the workshop is to discuss different potential commercialization pathways, to provide an overview of different types of support for knowledge transfer in Portugal and at Carnegie Mellon University, to provide an overview of the IP lifecycle, as well as to bring together the CMU Portugal community. 

The Pitch Coaching Session “Product Idea” is mostly oriented to students and faculty members, with an interest in receiving feedback about ideas for applications of their research. You are all invited to be a part of this session, and to contribute by presenting your ideas for products or services created from your research. You can find detailed information about this session at http://www.cmuportugal.org/tiercontent.aspx?id=4660.

During the event we will have several speakers, namely: João Claro, national director of the CMU Portugal Program; Susana Sargento, co-founder of Veniam; Hugo Gamboa, CEO of Plux - Wireless Biosignals; Reed McManigle, manager for business development and licensing, CTTEC, Carnegie Mellon University; Paulo Marques, co-founder and CTO of Feedzai; Pedro Araújo, CEO of ACSystems - Advanced Cyclone Systems; José Maria Maurício, member of the directive council at INPI; Maria Oliveira, director of Universidade do Porto Innovation (UPIN)*; and Luis Joaquim, PMO director of Critical Software. The final agenda is available at: http://www.cmuportugal.org/tiercontent.aspx?id=4658.

*tbc

The May Newsletter of the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program

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Sabina Zejnilovic, Dual Degree Ph.D. Student: “I would like to make a positive impact in our everyday life"

Natural from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and with industry and academic experience, Sabina Zejnilovic is a dual degree Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) since 2011/2012, at Instituto Superior Técnico of the Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (IST/UTL) and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).

Networks fascinate her, “whether they are connecting communication equipment, as in a telecom network, or computers on Internet, or even people in a social network.” As part of her Ph.D., she recently presented a poster titled “Communication Complexity and Energy Efficiency on Consensus Algorithms,” on the Inaugural Symposium of the CMU Portugal Program. Sabina explained that, in conjunction with her two advisors, they “discovered that some slower algorithms are in fact more efficient than the faster ones, as they require overall less communication to achieve the same goal,” adding that “we have also shown that in some network topologies, the algorithms are as efficient communication wise, as they are in complete networks.”

As a Ph.D. student she does not have a clear idea of what she wants to do after completing her graduation: either pursuing academic research or going back to industry. Of one thing she is sure: “I enjoy solving interesting problems, applying engineering practicality and creativity, and seeing the solutions making positive impact in our everyday life,” Sabina Zejnilovic said.

Read the full article at http://www.cmuportugal.org/tiercontent.aspx?id=4608.