In its second edition, the Unicamp Outstanding Graduate Award 2024 recognized 30 former students from different areas of knowledge with a diploma in recognition of their professional careers and their outstanding contribution to society. The certificate award ceremony took place this Thursday (12), in the auditorium of the Institute of Geosciences (IG), with a performance by the Coral Companhia Florada, composed of young people from Grupo Primavera, from the Jardim São Marcos neighborhood (Campinas), under the direction of Sandra Ciocci, an award-winning graduate of the Institute of Arts (IA) at Unicamp.
Each of the University’s 25 units nominates two names for the award each year: one outstanding undergraduate alumnus and another outstanding graduate alumnus. The University’s two technical colleges – the Campinas Technical College (Cotuca) and the Limeira Technical College (Cotil) – also participate, nominating one alumnus each. Therefore, 52 names can be awarded annually. Due to deadlines, however, 30 former students were honored in this second edition of the award. “All units participated, some with strong competition, but not all of them sent their winners on time,” said Cristiano Torezzan, faculty advisor to the Office of the Rector and the person responsible for implementing the policy for relations with alumni. The Outstanding Graduate Award was created as part of this policy, with the goal of strengthening Unicamp’s ties with society.
“This is an initiative developed by the rectorate, but this is essentially an award for the units, which freely establish their own criteria. We are working hard to create a new culture and we need to pay more attention to our relationships with our alumni,” says Torezzan, who considers these former students an important asset for Unicamp that should be more valued because they represent the University’s contribution to training human resources for the country and the world.
“We are still in the second edition of the award and we already have a full auditorium. We are building and strengthening this culture,” celebrated Torezzan, who is counting on the participation of Lumina, an official Unicamp endowment fund, in promoting the award. At the beginning of the ceremony, the fund was presented to those present through an institutional video.
Ivan Toro, the Vice-Rector of Undergraduate Studies, who was part of the ceremony’s executive committee, congratulated the award winners and spoke about the positive impact these professionals have on society. “They continue to make a difference in their fields. Therefore, this honor recognizes those who elevate the name of Unicamp and inspire future generations.”
For Dean Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, although recent, the initiative represents a very important moment. “We have around 1.300 registered companies that were created by people who graduated from Unicamp. They generate around R$27 billion per year. This is an example of the high quality of our education. I am very proud of this and we want to establish this contact in an increasingly strong way”, he said. According to Meirelles, Unicamp has not yet built a solid network of relationships with its former students, but this new policy implemented during his administration aims to strengthen this bond. “We thank you all for your commitment, something that depends on yourselves, but in which Unicamp participates.”
Torezzan and Meirelles presented the certificates to each of the award winners present or their representatives. Professor Monique Hulshof, from the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) at Unicamp, received the award. in memoriam on behalf of former student Ana Cláudia Lopes Silveira. Hulshof said that, since graduating in philosophy, Silveira has stood out as a questioning, engaged, critical and supportive student.
“She had a brilliant career. She joined the university in 2006 through Unicamp’s affirmative action policy, which she said was a source of pride. She then began her master’s degree and, during her qualifications, they suggested she pursue a doctorate directly, due to the excellence of her thesis. She did international internships and made a very good impression on the world stage, with publications in German, for example. She went to the Federal University of Bahia when she returned to Brazil, as a substitute teacher, and found success as a teacher, but then she was diagnosed with cancer. She returned to Unicamp to do her postdoctoral studies. She was very happy, despite the treatment. She said: ‘Now I’m in my right place, I always wanted to be a teacher’”, said the IFCH professor emotionally. According to Hulshof, Silveira is well-known in both the fields of philosophy and political science for issues of feminism and social science. Her doctoral thesis will be published.
Winners
Category Technical Course Graduates:
• Adriano Fagali de Souza – Cotuca
• Maria Isabel de Oliveira Lima – Cotil
Graduate Category:
• Allan Abuabara – FOP
• Ana Claudia Lopes Silveira (in memoriam) – IFCH, represented by Monique Hulshof
• Antonio Eduardo Ripari Neger – Feec
• Carlos Caetano de Almeida – FEM
• Cynthia Sade de Paiva – FCM, represented by Monica Alves
• Daniela Barone Soares – IE, represented by Mariá Grimaldi
• Felipe Viana Lima – Feagri
• Gabriel Rezende – FEQ
• Julia Bahia Adams – IEL
• Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto – IQ
• Paula Alves – FEA
• Rafael Ferreira Marengoni – Fecfau
• Raphael Gouvea de Melo – FT
Postgraduate Graduates Category:
• Alberto Jorge Sales de Oliveira Junior – FEM, represented by Alberto Jorge Sales de Oliveira
• Angelo Domingos Banchi – Feagri
• John Paul II – FCM
• Leandro Silva – IFGW
• Luciano Jose Pereira – FOP
• Luiz Mauricio Azevedo da Silva Bastos – IEL
• Marcos Vinicius Chiliatto Leite – IE, represented by Tania Chiliatto Leite
• Maria Cristina Chiarinelli Nucci Mascarenhas – FEA
• Matthew Corato Zanarella – Feec, represented by Hugo Hernandes Figueroa
• Nemailla Bonturi – FEQ, represented by Everson Alves Miranda
• Pedro Meira Monteiro – IFCH
• Rodrigo Custodio Urban – Fecfau
• Rodrigo Gonçalves Dias – IB, representado por Dora Maria Grassi
• Sandra Cristina Novais Ciocci – IA
• Thiago Alexandre Moraes – FT, represented by Mariane Alexandre
