The Provost for International Cooperation
Professor Sergio Persival Baroncini Proença
Sergio Persival Baroncini Proença earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Paraná (1978), a master’s degree (1981), and a PhD (1988) in Civil Engineering (Structures) from the University of São Paulo. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Polytechnic University of Milan (1990-1991). In 1997, he was awarded the title of Associate Professor, and in January 2004, he was appointed Full Professor at the Department of Structural Engineering, São Carlos School of Engineering, University of São Paulo (EESC/USP).
Over various short-term periods, Professor Proença served as a visiting researcher at the Laboratory of Mechanics and Technology in Cachan, France; Lisbon’s Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal; and the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA. Invited by the Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy, he collaborates as a Senior Resident Researcher, focusing on model formulation in the field of Mechanics of Structures and Materials. His research also emphasizes Computational Mechanics with a particular focus on Structural Engineering.
Professor Proença develops projects and maintains close collaborations with the Polytechnic University of Milan (Italy), the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA), Lisbon’s Instituto Superior Técnico (Portugal), Swansea University (Wales), the Laboratory of Mechanics and Technology at Paris-Saclay University (France), and Chongqing University (China).
At the Department of Structural Engineering at EESC, Professor Proença served as coordinator of the Graduate Program in Structural Engineering before becoming Research Coordinator and later Head of the Department. As a faculty member of EESC, he also served as Research Coordinator, President of the EESC International Cooperation Commission (CCInt-EESC), member of the EESC Innovation Center, and EESC Vice-Dean.
As a professor at USP, he participated in various evaluation committees, including serving as President of the Sectorial Evaluation Commission (CAS) for Civil Engineering for two cycles. More recently, Professor Proença has been a member of the Career and Teaching Activities Work Group, as well as a member of the Teaching Activities Council (CAD), which is part of the Permanent Evaluation Commission (CPA). On a broader level, he served as President of the Assisting Committee (CA Civil) for Engineering I at the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).
Currently, Professor Proença is the Provost for International Cooperation at the USP International Cooperation Office, appointed by the Rector to represent and act on his behalf in matters related to international affairs.