Naruhodo Entrevista #73: Fernanda Leite
Summary
Fernanda shares her journey from Brazil to a PhD at Carnegie Mellon, discussing her shift from architecture to construction engineering. She details her research on resilient systems, safety, and universal design, including early work on housing adaptations. The episode also covers the US graduate funding model and the importance of computational thinking in modern engineering.
Topics discussed
Introduction and overview of research in sustainability and AI
Early life in Brazil and family background
Undergraduate studies in Construction Engineering and Architecture
Master's research on mass housing and user adaptations
PhD journey at Carnegie Mellon and USC
Challenges in computer science and learning to program
Research on BIM clash detection and precision vs recall
Academic job search and joining University of Texas
Rise to Associate Dean and leadership roles
Current research, NSF funding, and career advice
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