Jorge Vitório Pereira is made a full member of the ABC

IMPA’s deputy director, Jorge Vitório Pereira, was made a full member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) on Thursday (7). The ceremony took place during the Solemn Session of the ABC’s Magna Reunion, at the Naval School in Rio de Janeiro. Under applause, Jorge Vitório received the diploma from the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos.

“I’m grateful for the trust and recognition that the academic community has given my work. It’s an honor to be part of ABC alongside so many colleagues I admire,” said the IMPA researcher.

ABC’s full members are scientists with outstanding professional achievements. With the election, IMPA adds 17 members in the institution.

Present at the event, the director general of IMPA and member of the Academy, Marcelo Viana, said that Jorge Vitório’s entry into the ABC is a cause for celebration for the entire scientific community. “This is a very happy moment, as Jorge Vitório’s election to the Academy recognizes the scientific career of one of Brazil’s most brilliant mathematicians.”

A researcher at IMPA since 2003 and deputy director of the institute since 2023, Jorge Vitório works mainly in the areas of complex geometry and holomorphic foliations. Throughout his career, the researcher has given prominent lectures such as a plenary at the 2025 edition of the Mathematical Congress of the Americas, one of the most important mathematics meetings in the Americas. This year, Pereira is one of the guests of the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) 2026, which will be held between July 23 and 30 in Philadelphia, USA. Held every four years, the congress is considered the most important in world mathematics and brings together some of the leading names in the field to present scientific advances and discuss research trends.

Among the distinctions he has received are the Jean-Morlet Chair in 2020, the lecture at the Bourbaki Association Bourbaki Seminar in 2007 and the Unibanco Chair in 2005.

Jorge Vitório is also IMPA’s Olympiad Manager, working on the organization of the OBMEP (Brazilian Public School Mathematics Olympiad) – the country’s largest knowledge Olympiad, which mobilizes more than 18.5 million students each year – and other initiatives such as OBMEP Mirim and the Teachers’ Olympiad. Throughout his career at the Institute, Jorge Vitório has been responsible for the Scientific Activities Division (2015-2023), IMPA’s Teaching Division (2010-2014) and a member of the institute’s Scientific Technical Council (2014-2020).

The researcher is also the coordinator of the Mathematics area of FAPERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Research Foundation), a member of the scientific committee of Math-AmSud and the Franco-Brazilian Mathematics Network. He is also the editor of the IMPA Mathematical Monographs collection.

The graduation ceremony took place during the ABC’s Magna Reunion, an annual event that brings together Brazilian and foreign researchers to debate science, technology and innovation. This year, the Academy also celebrated its 110th anniversary.

At the event, ABC president Helena Nader emphasized the institution’s role in strengthening science in the country. “This house is vibrant with the talent and dedication that each of you represents. I warmly congratulate each of you, who renew and strengthen our institution. This evening marks the beginning of a collaborative journey of hard work and achievements for Brazilian science.”

Solemn Session of the ABC Magna Reunion

The Almirante Álvaro Alberto Award, a partnership between the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the Brazilian Navy, was also presented during the closing event of the Magna Reunion. This year’s winner was biologist Maria Teresa Fernandez Piedade, a researcher at the National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and a full member of ABC. This is one of the country’s highest honors for researchers and is awarded annually.

At the ceremony, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, stressed that the Admiral Álvaro Alberto Award reaffirms the MCTI’s commitment to strengthening national science and valuing researchers who contribute to the country’s development. “Admiral Álvaro Alberto’s legacy lives on by reaffirming that sovereignty and prosperity depend on a nation’s ability to produce science, develop technology and transform knowledge into development, innovation and quality of life for its people. And it gains even more strength when it recognizes the fundamental role of women scientists, who continue to open paths and broaden horizons for generations to come,” she said.

Piedade has been working in the Amazon for almost 50 years, carrying out research into ecology, especially ecosystem ecology, with a focus on the influence of the flood pulse on biota and interactions, sustainable management and monitoring of floodplains. She also conducts research into primary production, carbon balances and the ecophysiology of tree species and aquatic plants.