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Nilmara Braz dos Santos Dias, Ph.D.

Instructor of Chemistry

Dias

As an advocate for chemistry education, my philosophy revolves around fostering an engaging and participatory learning environment that encourages active exploration and application of chemistry principles. I firmly believe that active learning is pivotal in facilitating deeper understanding and retention of complex concepts in organic chemistry. and in most of the subjects. To achieve this, I employ a multifaceted approach that incorporates hands-on experiments, problem-based learning, and collaborative activities. These methods empower students to take an active role in their learning journey, transforming them from passive recipients of information to engaged participants in their education. In my classroom, I integrate active learning strategies that promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Through guided inquiry-based experiments and case studies, students delve into real world scenarios, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations. This approach not only strengthens their comprehension of chemistry but also cultivates analytical thinking and decision-making abilities essential in scientific exploration. Moreover, I place a strong emphasis on creating an inclusive and supportive environment where diverse perspectives are valued. Collaborative group projects, discussions, and peer-to-peer interactions serve as catalysts for meaningful engagement and knowledge exchange. By encouraging active participation and teamwork, I aim to nurture an environment that respects diverse viewpoints, fostering a rich and vibrant learning community. I really like Problem-Base Learning (PBL), which why I wrote a paper about it, including a work developed with my students (production of ethanol from lignocellulosic residues) where the students had to choose the biomass, pre-treatment, enzymes, the fungi and all the variables that should be tested during all steps (mechanical and chemical treatment and biological treatment). In the last project we were able to use a specific enzyme that increased the fermentable sugar available). Of course, the ideas of project (biofuels, development of a new drug…) will depend on the course and the subject. Ultimately, my goal is to empower students not only to understand organic or general chemistry but also to become independent thinkers and problem-solvers. By embracing active learning methodologies, I aspire to instill in students the confidence, skills, and enthusiasm necessary to thrive in the realm of organic and general chemistry and beyond.

-Nilmara Braz dos Santos Dias

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Biography

My family is from Portugal, they moved to Brazil where I was born. I got back (moved to) to Portugal where I studied and lived up to July 2023. I am Chemical Engineer (approved with award due to the best academic performance during the course), MBA in Environmental Management System (EMS) by Pontifical Catholic University. Integrated Master degree (bachelor + master degree) and PH. D in environmental Engineering by University of Lisbon- Portugal.

My PhD involved the university and industrial partners, the research was done having all municipal solid waste treatment facilities of Continental Portugal, as case study, and one glass recycling industry. In this research I could explore a variety of mechanical biological treatment facilities.

My strength as researcher is waste valorization and the impact of waste in the Environment, working with technology and management (Technology development to increase the glass recycle rate (Ph.D. work); Lignocellulosic biomass treatment (biochemical treatment) to produce bioethanol; bio-waste valorization to produce nutrients to grow microalgae: evaluation of the climate change in the dissolved oxygen in estuaries, rivers and ocean) (I'm finishing up an article with a researcher from IPMA ( Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere...).

In addition to the experience as researcher and professor, I have experience in industrial waste management, experience acquired at Andrade Engenharia, where I worked as an environmental consultant and was responsible for the management of industrial waste and experience with polymers.

Education

  • 2016 - Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, University of Lisbon- Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2012 - M.S. in Environmental Engineering (integrated), University of Lisbon- Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2003 - MBA in Environmental Management System, Catholic University of Parana, Brazil
  • 1999 - B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Catholic University of Parana, Brazil

Interests

Reading - I love science fiction, comedy and romance. Read make you travel without spend a lot of money. And its great to visit a Country after you read about it.

Traveling - Besides to travel for fun with my family, most of the time in Europe (where I came from). I love to get courses and participate in programs to increase my knowledge as professor and take those courses in different country is doubled reward.

My last trip, which included a course and a tour full of culture and beautiful landscapes, was in Chania/Greece, at the Technical University of Crete. In addition to getting to know the place, I made a lot of contacts and had the opportunity to learn about the culture, food and make new friends.

Awards

  • Merit Award Marcellin Champagnat - Award received at the end of the chemical engineering course due to the best academic performance during the five years of the course. Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná - 2000.

Publications

Main Scientific Papers and Book Chapter

  • Tudella, Joana., Dias, Nilmara B., Santos, Carla A. Agro-industrial wastes as nutrients for sustainable microalgae cultivation. Wastes: Solutions, treatments, and opportunities IV – Vilarinho, Castro & Quina (eds) 2024. The Authors. ISBN 978-1-032-38441-2.
  • N. B. Dias, F. N. Serralha, W. H. Lee, N. E. Venâncio, F. S. Pereira. Relevance of sulfur content from waste feedstock for biodiesel production. Wastes: Solutions, treatments, and opportunities IV – Vilarinho, Castro & Quina (eds) 2024. The Authors. ISBN 978-1-032-38441-2. DOI: 10.12019781003345084-37
  • Serralha, Fátima; Dias, Nilmara; Duarte, R.G, Borges, R.; Chapter 2 Contribution of sustainable fuels for the future of the energy sector. Handbook of Research on Solving Societal Challenges Through Sustainability-Oriented Innovation. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-6123-5 / ISBN13: 9781668461235 / ISBN10: 1668461234 / EISBN13: 9781668461259. March, 2023.
  • Serralha, Fátima; Dias, Nilmara; Duarte, R.G, Borges, R.; Chapter 2 Contribution of sustainable fuels for the future of the energy sector. Handbook of Research on Solving Societal Challenges Through Sustainability-Oriented Innovation. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-6123-5 / ISBN13: 9781668461235 / ISBN10: 1668461234 / EISBN13: 9781668461259. March, 2023.
  • Dias, Nilmara & Vieceli, Nathalia. Dezembro de 2018. Mechanical Biological Treatment. In Jacabos-Lopes, E.; et al. Waste-To-Energy (WTE). Renewable Energy: Research, Development and Policies. Nova Science Publisher. Chapter 11. ISBN: 978-1-53614-431-4
  • Dias, N., Carvalho, M.T.,Pina, Pedro. 2012. Characterization of Mechanical Biological Treatment Reject Aiming at Packaging Glass Recovery for Recycling. London, Minerals Engineering, 2012. Volume 29. P.72-76.
  • Dias, N., Máximo, A., Belo, N. & Carvalho, M. T., 2014. Packaging glass contained in the heavy residual fraction refused by Portuguese Mechanical and Biological Treatment. Recycling, Resource and Conservation, 85. P.98-105. Volume 85
  • Dias, N., Belo, N., Máximo, A., Carvalho, M.T.,2014. Recovery of Glass Contained In The Heavy Residual Fraction Of Portuguese Mechanical Biological Treatment Plants. Journal of Cleaner Production. Volume 79. P271-275.
  • Carvalho,M.T.; Dias, N.; Brogueira, P.,2015. Separation by particle shape – the RecGlass device. International Journal of Mineral Processing. Volume 140, Pages 1-7.
  • Carvalho,M.T.; Dias, N.; Brogueira, P.,2015. Separation by particle shape – the RecGlass device. International Journal of Mineral Processing. Volume 140, Pages 1-7.
  • Dias, N; Garrinhas, I., Máximo, A., Belo, N., Carvalho, M.T., Roque, P., 2015. Recovery of glass from the inert fraction refused by MBT plants in a pilot plant. Waste Management. Volume 46, Pages 201-211.

Main Proceeding Papers and Presentation

  • Santos, Carla A., Sousa, Ana Cláudia, Gomes, Ana Gabriela, Tudella, Joana, Serralha, Fatima, Osorio, Natalia,. Dias, Nilmara, Justino, Marta, Santos, Sónia. Closing the loop: microalgae-based solutions for agro-industrial waste in Setúbal. 1st International Conferences on Resilience and Sustainable Regions- Portugal- November, 2023.
  • Dias, Nilmara, Carvalho, Teresa, Reis, Alexandre L, Serralha, M. Fatima. Mini-rpoject of Ethanol Production from Waste as Teaching Methodology- E-book CNaPPES 2022 - 8º Congresso Nacional de Práticas Pedagógicas no Ensino Superior (CNaPPES.22 - 8th National Congress of Pedagogical Practices in Higher Education) - Portugal, 2022
  • Jardim, H., Dias, N., Carvalho, M.T., 2016. The sanitary landfill of the xxi century in Portugal. The streams produced by municipal incineration and mechanical and biological treatment. Third International Symposium on Enhanced Landfill Mining (ELFM III). Portugal
  • Dias, N., Garrinhas, I. Carvalho, M.T., 2015. Optimization of optical sorting to recover glass from the heavy residual fraction refused by MBT plants fed with mixed waste’. ISWA. Poster. Antwerp, Belgium
  • Dias, N. & Carvalho, M.T.,2015 Recovery of packaging Glass refused by Mechanical Biological Treatment Plants – Case Study. São Paulo, Brazil. Pages:164-174. III Progress of Recycling in the built environment. e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-158-2
  • Martins, M.M, Dias, N., Carvalho, M.T. Application of the shaking table to separates stones from glass cullet in the fine heavy reject of the Mechanical and Biological Treatment of MSW. XXVII International Mineral Processing Congress, Santiago, Chile. October, 2014.
  • S. Landim, F. Durão, A. Máximo, N. Dias, C. Ulsen, M.T. Carvalho.,2014 Recovery of glass from MBT heavy rejects - optimization of the gravity concentration flowsheet. Symposium on Urban Mining. SUM 2014. Bergamo Italy.
  • Dias,N., Carvalho, M.T., Limons, R., 2013. Challenges in the deactivation of more than 2000 open dumping sites in Brazil.14 th international waste management and landfill symposium. Sardinia.
  • Dias, N., Máximo, A., Belo, N., Carvalho, M.T.,2013. Recuperação de vidro proveniente de uma linha de refugo do TMB. In: Proceedings of 8ª jornadas técnicas internacionais de resíduos. Lisboa- Portugal; p. 91-94.
  • Carvalho, T., Dias, N., Belo, N., Máximo, A., Landim, S., Pina, P., Sousa, J., 2013. Recovery of Glass from MBT Residue by Gravity Concentration: Effect of Up Stream Processing in Particle Shape. In: Proceedings of The 28th International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management, Washignton, USA.
  • Dias, N., Máximo, A., Belo, N., Carvalho, M.T.,2012. Potential for recovery of packaging glass from the heavy residual fraction refused by Portuguese MBT plants. In: Proceedings of First International EIMpack Congress, Lisbon-Pt.
  • Dias, N. & Carvalho, M. T., 2012. Novel equipment to separate contaminants from glass cullet. In: Proceedings of XIII International Mineral Processing Symposium, Bodrum, Turkey. Department of Mining Engineering, Osmangazi University; p. 931–937.
  • Dias, N. & Carvalho, M. T., Recovery of packaging glass from Mechanical Biological Treatment reject, Fray international Symposium 2011, Cancun.

Projects

  • Strategic Project-UID/ECI/04028/2013. Valnor Project – Project on the recovery of glass contained in a waste line at Valnor's biological mechanical treatment facility. Financier: Sociedade Ponto Verde: 2011/2012. Institution: IST CERENA research center.
  • RecGlass- Project on the recovery of glass contained in a waste line at 6 mechanical biological treatment facilities in mainland Portugal. Financier: Sociedade Ponto Verde: 2011/2012. Institution: IST CERENA research center. Project partners. Valnor; tractlixo and Vidrociclo.
  • Project - Algafeed. Biotechnological process for producing microalgae in a reactor, with a view to obtaining protein for animal feed. Investigator. Start: July 2020. Project Funded by Polithecnic Institute od Setubal- Portugal.
  • Project - ARSUS - Assessment of the pozzolanicity of bottom ash from biomass burning plants in fluidized beds. Project funded by Polytechnic Institute od Setubal- Portugal. Since 2023
  • Evaluation of Oxygen Dissolved in marine waters of the Portuguese coast – Project funded by IPMA (Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere) – Portugal. Since 2022