Marta Oliveira Barbosa participated in the 2025/2026 edition of the Scientist Back to School programme, promoted by Native Scientists, an initiative that connects researchers with school communities and fosters scientific literacy among young students.

As part of this initiative, Marta returned to Penafiel, her hometown, where she delivered four science workshops in primary schools, engaging around 80 students from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. The activities took place at Abragão, Luzim and Duas Igrejas Primary Schools and focused on water quality and the “invisible” pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides, present in the environment.

Through hands-on experiments, demonstrations and group discussions, students were encouraged to discover that water may appear clean while still containing “invisible” substances that can be harmful to both the environment and human health.

The workshops aimed to introduce children to the work carried out by scientists in monitoring and removing contaminants from water, showing how scientific research contributes to solving real-world environmental challenges. At the same time, citizen science practices were promoted, encouraging responsible behaviours such as the proper disposal of medicines and the adoption of more sustainable habits.

This participation reflects the commitment to science communication and public engagement, helping to bring research closer to society, spark curiosity among younger generations and inspire future careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Dr. Pedro Velho has been appointed as a Guest Early Career Member of the Working Party on Thermodynamics and Transport Properties (WP-TTP) of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE).

The appointment was unanimously approved during a WP-TTP meeting held in Tróia, Portugal, as part of the European Symposium on Applied Thermodynamics (ESAT), one of the leading international conferences in the field of applied thermodynamics, which took place from 10 to 13 May. At this edition, Pedro Velho also served on the Local Organizing Committee, further demonstrating his active engagement within the international scientific community.
His nomination was proposed by members of the European working group and recognizes his academic and scientific achievements, as well as his potential contribution to the fields of thermodynamics, transport properties, and modelling applied to chemical engineering.

Pedro Velho obtained his Integrated Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from FEUP in 2020 and completed his PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering in 2025. His research focuses on thermodynamics and transport phenomena, particularly their application to systems relevant to contemporary chemical engineering challenges.

His appointment to the WP-TTP also represents an international recognition of the research carried out at FEUP, further strengthening the presence of the University of Porto within European networks of research and scientific collaboration in Chemical Engineering.