Ao abrigo de uma Bolsa Fulbright para Investigação com o apoio da FCT e no âmbito do seu doutoramento em ‘Engineering Physics’ do Instituto Superior Técnico da Universidade de Lisboa, Diogo Carvalho desenvolveu parte da sua pesquisa sobre “accelerated multi-scale plasmaphysics simulators and the extraction of reduced plasma models from simulation data” na University of California-los Angeles, CA, EUA.
~~~
«I wanted to start by thanking Fulbright for the invaluable opportunity to live, work, and create many treasured memories during my one-year research stay at the Plasma Simulation group of the University of California, Los Angeles. From day one, both the Fulbright Portugal Commission, my IIE advisor, my hosting institution, and supervisor made me feel welcomed and helped to tackle all the unexpected challenges that happened along the way. In particular, I would like to thank my hosting supervisor, Prof. Paulo Alves, for pretty much everything, and Prof. Ann Kerr for nurturing the Fulbright community in LA.
While at UCLA, I was allowed to collaborate on some of the most exciting projects in my field of research with fellow graduate students and faculty members. These shaped significantly the course of my PhD, and I hope to have given something back to everyone I was lucky enough to work and interact with (at least some of them should have become proficient in Portuguese cuisine).
Doing a longer research visit to the US allowed me to better immerse myself in American culture and its day-to-day lifestyle. Living with Americans, participating in the main cultural events, and having to create somehow longer-lasting “roots” made me aware of unexpected cultural differences that exist (even though we share a lot of common values and history) and helped me better understand the current challenges and struggles the country is facing. Traveling, both for work and leisure, also allowed me to appreciate the vastness, beauty, and diversity of the US. I don’t think there are many places in the world where, in the same day, you can pass by a sea, followed by a desert, and finish in snowy mountains. Also, I had no idea that sea elephants were a thing.
I wish the best for many years to come to the Fulbright Program and hope that many future generations of fellow scholars are given the chance to have the same opportunities I was given. For them, I leave some last words. Come with an open mind, continuously put yourself out there, explore as much as you can, and enjoy while it lasts.».
~~~
Thank you, Diogo, welcome back!