Catarina Gamboa headshot 2022

About me


I am a Ph.D. student in Software Engineering, currently studying at CMU, in Pittsburgh.
With the Dual-degree CMU|Portugal I get to spend some time in Pittsburgh and some time in Portugal, where I am originally from.

Here is a list of my current and past education and accomplishments.

Education

2021 - now

Dual PhD in Software Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University and Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa

I am enrolled in the Dual PhD CMU-Portugal completing courses and research at both CMU and U. Lisbon. Currently, and I'm currently working on improving the usability of liquid types for reliable software, advised by Alcides Fonseca and Jonathan Aldrich.

2019 - 2021

Master Degree in Informatics Engineering
Software Engineering

Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL)

GPA: 18/20
Courses included:
Software Design(18/20)
Software Reliability(18/20)
Software Verification and Validation(18/20)
Compiling Techniques(19/20)
Master thesis about LiquidJava: Extending Java with Refinements, advised by Alcides Fonseca and Chris Timperley.

2016 - 2019

Bachelor in Informatics Engineering

Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL)

GPA: 17/20; class A in EECC; 2nd in class
Courses included:
Algorithms and Data Structures(18/20)
Principles of Programming(20/20)
Construction of Software Systems(18/20)
Information Systems Analysis and Design(18/20)




Experience

August 2023 - Now

Teaching Assistant in 17-480/17-780 API Design

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

I am currently a TA of the course API Design working with Joshua Bloch. The course focuses on designing APIs within larger real-world software and ecosystems and students gain experience in the major steps of API design such as gathering requirements, documenting, testing, implementing, refining, evolving, and reimplementing APIs.

2020 - Now

Researcher at LASIGE and S3D

FCUL and CMU

I started doing research at LASIGE during my master thesis and I am currently a researcher at both LASIGE and the Software and Societal Systems Department (S3D) at CMU.



2019 - 2020

Teaching Assistant in the Informatics Department

Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa

Taught courses on Introduction of Programming for Bachelor students of Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics and others. The courses were Programming I (LTI), Programming II (LTI) and Programming II, where taught Theoretical-Practical and Laboratorial classes.

July 2019

Summer internship

Runtime Revolution

One month summer internship in the company of software development Runtime Revolution. Developed some projects using Ruby on Rails and React.




Awards

Huawei Scholarship
2022

Was awarded with one of the 50 scholarships given in the scope of Huawei's program Seeds for the Future 2.0, in collaboration with .PT, to empower students un the STEM areas.

Best Student Poster
September 2021

Received the Best Poster award at the INFORUM 2021 Conference, in Lisbon, Portugal.

MaxData Award - Informatics Excellence
September 2021

Received the academic excellence award for the best student of the first year of the MSc on Informatics Engineering.

Diploma of Academic Merit
2018-2021

Received Academic excellence awards for the three years of the Bachelor degree for the obtained grades.

3rd Place on the Contest Wine Discoveries
2018

Belongs to the team that received the prize on the Business Ideas Contest Wine Discoveries, inserted in European City of Wine 2018 Torres Vedras and Alenquer, with the wine tourism project Gamboa's Place.

3rd Place in the Ideas Contest Poliempreende, 2017

Belongs to the team that received the third place on the Business Ideas Contest for entrepreneurship Poliempreende, promoted by Politecnico de Leiria, with the idea FilmU.