In this Inside DEI, we will get to know our colleague Sandra Espírito Santo a little better.

• Tell us a little about yourself and your journey at IST.

About me – I was born in Lisbon and consider myself a cheerful, courageous person with a strong sense of responsibility. I enjoy challenges and see every change as an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

When reflecting on my journey at IST, it’s inevitable to look back on my 12 years of experience at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL), an institution that, along with Instituto Superior Técnico, is part of the larger University of Lisbon.

I joined the public sector in 2008, at FCUL, as an Administrative Assistant in the Mail and Archive Office. This was a period of significant transition, marked by my departure from the company I previously managed with my ex-husband and the beginning of a new professional chapter.

In 2011, I moved to the Central Office, in the Postgraduate Studies Office (GEPG). Working there was both demanding and rewarding: daily interactions with students, staying up to date with regulations and academic procedures, managing accounts, among many other tasks.

In 2014, I was invited to join the Department of Geographical Engineering, Geophysics, and Energy, where I carried out administrative support duties for all three study cycles. With the creation of the new Administrative Unit, following the dissolution of departmental offices, I began supporting three departments: Geographical Engineering, Geophysics and Energy, Physics, and Chemistry.

Then, in 2020, I embraced a new challenge at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), in the Department of Computer Engineering (DEI), continuing to work in the academic field but now handling all administrative matters for DEI’s PhD students.

• Tell us a little about what you do now at DEI.

In the Department of Computer Engineering (DEI), I am involved in the academic area, where I handle all administrative work. The academic management of the 3rd cycle of studies encompasses all administrative and coordination activities related to the doctoral programs — from the application process to the thesis defense — ensuring the proper functioning of the doctoral courses and compliance with regulations. I provide direct support to the 3rd cycle coordinators, doctoral students, and faculty members. I work specifically with three doctoral programs: the PhD in Computer Science and Engineering, the PhD in Digital Media, and the PhD in Information Security.

It is a job that gives me great satisfaction, as I truly enjoy what I do.

• What do you enjoy most about your daily work at DEI?

I enjoy the dynamism and the autonomy that my work allows me.

I greatly appreciate the physical spaces where I perform my duties, both at Taguspark and Alameda, as I find both to be welcoming, bright, and pleasant environments.

I especially value the close connection with students and faculty members.

I love the team’s collaborative spirit and the atmosphere of mutual support within the department — it’s that human side that truly makes all the difference in our daily work.

• Who is Sandra outside of Técnico? 

Outside Técnico, I am a creative woman, deeply connected to art and nature.

I love painting, and I sign my oil paintings with the artistic name SPÍRITO, in a naïve style through which I express the vibrant colors and joy of life.

Over the past year, I decided to continue my academic journey and am currently pursuing a Master’s in Women’s Studies — Gender, Citizenship, and Development.

This choice also carries a personal dimension: I aim to research women who, like myself, live and work with a disability — often in silence — seeking to understand how they face everyday challenges and build their place in the world.