Testimony by Allan da Silva Pinto (Master - 2013, Doctorate - 2018) - Capes de Thesis Award 2019

Winning the 2019 Capes de Thesis Award in the field of Computer Science represents a valuable recognition, by the Brazilian academy, of a work done by me and by researchers with whom I had the happiness to work, whose participation was essential for carrying out the scientific work that made up my thesis. This recognition also rewards the entire community of the Institute of Computing at the State University of Campinas (IC / Unicamp) and attests to the institution's excellence in the training of its graduate students. I thank my advisor Prof. Dr. Anderson de Rezende Rocha, to my co-advisor Prof. Dr. Hélio Pedrini, and all colleagues who donated their valuable time, teaching me the ways of stones for carrying out the research work that I modestly and humbly judge as being of quality. I also thank IC / Unicamp and all its staff for offering all the conditions and infrastructure necessary for the development of the thesis.

My Trajectory in Graduate Studies

My interest in science and research was born during my graduation, a period in which I had the opportunity to work on two scientific initiations, at the University of São Paulo (ICMC / USP), in mid 2008. At the time, my view on science and research was quite limited, but it was in this period that I started my steps in this fascinating world. After finishing my graduation, I did not hesitate to continue my studies in the master's degree, in 2011, a period in which I met Prof. Dr. Anderson de Rezende Rocha, who readily accepted me as his master's student.
During my master's degree, I faced several personal and economic difficulties. I consider the first year of my master's degree to be the period of greatest difficulty in my entire career in graduate school. During this period, I had to deal with situations that could potentially discourage my continuation in the graduate program, such as the loss of the master's scholarship and my dismissal from the master's program. However, with the help of my advisor and several colleagues, I decided to continue my research in the best possible way, trying to understand what my limitations and potential were, so that I could finish my master's degree and acquire the skills and competences expected of a doctoral level student. This process required a lot of reading, not only on specific topics related to my research area, but also on more general subjects related to scientific methodology, presentation didactics, analysis and interpretation of research results, among other subjects. At the end of this process, the greatest benefit gained was the gain of professional maturity that allowed me to move forward with the research paths defined for my PhD.
In 2014, I entered the IC / Unicamp doctoral program with a clear understanding of the open problems in my research area and the solutions proposed in the literature so far. The training I obtained during the master's degree was essential for me to be able to debate and defend the ideas and methodologies proposed in my doctorate. On many occasions, during my doctorate, I had to write reply letters debating and defending proposed ideas submitted in scientific communication vehicles related to my research area. Although this is a difficult job and requires a capacity for synthesis and convincing, certainly this whole process was fundamental for my professional training. In some situations, I was disappointed to have works refused for publication. On the other hand, such situations were important for the maturation and improvement of the proposed ideas.
In addition, in my PhD, I had the opportunity to dedicate part of my time in some activities related to administrative matters in the University Council, as a student representative, in 2015, and also in postgraduate activities, participating in the organization, presentation of works and evaluation of works in the “Workshops of Theses and Dissertations in Progress” promoted by the graduate program of the Institute of Computing. In total, I had the pleasure of participating in the edition of WTD 2013, presenting my work done in the master's degree, in the organization of the WTDs of the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, and finally, as a member of the board at WTD 2018. I believe that the group of all these activities were essential to my training, as each of them allowed me to practice and develop different aspects of my academic life.
In short, in my trajectory in the graduate program at IC / Unicamp, I had the opportunity to learn skills and competences that allowed me to grow professionally and carry out research work with the quality that the Graduate Program at IC / Unicamp expects. your candidates. The learning came with many mistakes and successes, difficulties and victories, but it was certainly worth every sacrifice and effort spent on this journey. In this process, I was able to count on exceptional professionals who gave me all the support and support, offered in different ways such as classes, lectures, scientific meetings, workshops, training, etc.
As a native of Campinas and from a public school, studying at IC / Unicamp was a huge satisfaction, given the great importance of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) for Brazilian science and also for the challenges that public school students face in accessing higher education Of Quality. My admission to the University was facilitated by a social inclusion program for students in public schools and it was very important for me to be able to enter higher education. In this sense, I would like to thank all the people who fight for a more just and egalitarian University, capable of offering opportunities to all, regardless of their origins, race, color, and descent.
Once again, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the people who contributed directly or indirectly to my training during my period of studies in graduate school. I believe that the phrase of Maggie MacDonnell, the winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2017, accurately reflects the spirit of collaboration and friendship with teachers and students that I met at the Institute of Computing:

“When you run by yourself, you go fast; But when you run with others, you can go so far. ”
—Maggie MacDonnell, Global Teacher Prize 2017 Winner