Susana Monteiro, a former student of DEI, has been awarded the Prémio Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo in the Young Alumna category. This distinction marks yet another milestone in a journey of excellence that began even before she first walked the halls of Técnico.

“Why shouldn't a girl like Computer Science and Engineering?” With this statement, which later became the title of an article in the newspaper “Público”, Susana Monteiro summed up the mindset that led her to Técnico. Always curious and eager to learn, she experimented with programming before finishing high school and discovered that it "isn't something that closes one door, but rather opens many others." This passion for learning was reflected in her achieving the highest admission score for the Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Engineering in 2019.

Once at Técnico, Susana Monteiro's academic excellence was recognized through numerous awards. In her first year, she received an Academic Merit Diploma, followed by an Academic Excellence Diploma in 2020. In 2022, she received a different distinction: the Prémio de Mérito Celfocus em Engenharia de Software, presented for the Quizzes Tutor project. This project enables students to assess their knowledge through multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and matching exercises. In 2023, she was once again awarded an Academic Merit Diploma and moderated a Master Talk featuring Professor Arlindo Oliveira.

Recognition as the top student in the Master's in Computer Science and Engineering came with the Prémio de Mérito FIDAWARD IN Engenharia Informática e de Computadores powered by Fidelidade 2022/2023. Her master's dissertation, Static Analysis for C++ Rust-Like Lifetime Annotations, which focused on safe interoperability between C++ and Rust, was subsequently awarded a Google scholarship. Around the same time, Susana Monteiro was also featured in our "Shine Bytes" interview series.

In 2025, she received the Prémio Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo in the Young Alumna category. Established in 2016, this award aims to promote gender equality and recognize the contributions of women in engineering, a field that has traditionally been male-dominated. The award also honors Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, a Técnico alumna and one of the most influential figures in Portuguese public life, whose legacy continues to inspire through her leadership and commitment to public service.

After graduating from Técnico, Susana Monteiro moved to London, where she joined Apple, the company where she continues to work today.

More recently, she also participated in the C++26 standards meeting, an international gathering dedicated to defining the future of the C++ programming language.

Alongside her outstanding career in Computer Science and Engineering, Susana Monteiro has maintained a lifelong passion for music, with more than a decade of experience performing in orchestras and chamber music ensembles.

And now, we have the opportunity to get to know Susana even better in her own words.