Leonor Oliveira (HR) and Bruno Veloso (LIAAD)

Leonor Oliveira (HR)

“I would like to nominate my HR colleague Leonor Oliveira, who stood out during the holiday period and subsequent absence of many collaborators, namely during late July and the first half of August. Leonor was the person who not only accumulated, but also ensured all the tasks and activities, playing the role of other colleagues when the HR Service was reduced to just two people: José Carlos and herself. During this period, Leonor also trained Susana Rodrigues, who is replacing Rita Cardoso. We should acknowledge her commitment, dedication and professionalism, which ensured the HR Service’s adequate performance.”

– Margarida Gonçalves

August is generally characterised by the “holiday period” at INESC TEC. What caused additional challenges this year?

Concerning the operational aspects of the Human Resources Service, the month of August does not differ from the rest of the year. It does not depend on trends or tendencies, and we have a significant work volume, associated with the nature of our job – which includes, for instance, managing the connections of the entire INESC TEC community, payroll processes, dissemination of calls for applications, among many other aspects. This year, the period when the team was reduced to two people was quite complicated, not because of a potential increase in terms of tasks, but mainly because we had to divide them between two people (and one more in training). Usually, the operational HR team is composed of four people, who are already responsible for many tasks.

How did you overcome those challenges?

By having a cup of tea and listening to Y Dale Alegría A Mi Corazón, a song by Mercedes Sosa that makes me feel good! As I said before, it was not easy: we cannot simply put certain tasks on hold. However, I relied on the institutional sense of accountability, duty and success to persevere.

Which aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

My team. We have nurtured a deep sense of empathy, collaboration and solidarity that helps us maintain the required judgement and resilience, crucial to address issues and overcome obstacles. And trust me: there’s nothing dull or tedious about this job, since we must face several challenges.

How do you comment on this nomination?

I’m very grateful for Margarida’s statement, and very touched by this nomination. Margarida was the person who taught me the most about HR management – and she still does. She’s been leading this team with a praiseworthy dedication, which we all should respect and admire. But I don’t see myself as “Incredible” – I just do my best!

Bruno Veloso (LIAAD)

“Bruno Veloso is playing a key role in the FailStopper project. In the difficult times that we are going through, Bruno showed exceptional commitment and dedication, going far beyond what his regular activities should be. The progress, the goals and the results achieved are mainly due to the total availability and commitment Bruno demonstrated thus far.”

– Alípio Jorge

What made you choose INESC TEC?

INESCTEC is a leading institution that values technological innovation and is constantly presenting new challenges to its employees, not only for personal improvement, but also for the development of the institution itself.

However, my answer to this question involves two separate and remarkable moments in my academic life: (i) I collaborated with CRAS research group, namely until the end of my PhD; and (ii) also worked as a researcher at LIAAD during the post-doctorate.

What is your role in the FailStopper project?

My participation began in the final year of the project; I was in charge of supporting the doctoral fellow who developed the software for early detection of malfunctions in public transportation vehicles. Subsequently, I developed and implemented different complementary methods of troubleshooting.

The LIAAD Coordination mentioned “difficult times”. What were the main challenges and how did you overcome them?

I can summarise these “difficult moments” according to three key dimensions: (i) technical and bureaucratic issues in the acquisition and installation of the monitoring equipment; (ii) administrative issues in hiring grant holders; and (iii) the Covid-19 pandemic, which hindered the development of the project. The software that we are currently testing uses data stream analysis techniques for the early detection of malfunctions in real time. I would like to emphasise that the main results were only possible due to the effort of the following elements: the lecturers Rita Ribeiro (FCUP & LIAAD), João Gama (FEP & LIAAD) and Carlos Ferreira (ISEP & LIAAD), as well as Eng. Pedro Mota Pereira (Metro do Porto) and Mariana Barros (FEP).

How do you comment on this nomination?

I was quite surprised. I truly hope I can demonstrate my ability to overcome all the challenges I’ll come across in the near future.