Biography

Rita (she/her) is a PhD student in Planetary Health at the University of Lisbon. She holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST–ULisboa), as well as postgraduate degrees in Human–Animal Studies from the Institute of Social Sciences (ICS–ULisboa) and in Animal Behaviour and Welfare from ISPA. She currently works as a Radio Networks Engineer.
Her research is hosted by the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI) and the Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (CE3C). It addresses human–wildlife coexistence using umwelt, or perceptual worlds, as a conceptual bridge between sensory ecology and human worldviews. At ITI, Rita investigates whether and how a soundscape-based immersive experience representing animal sensory worlds can influence stakeholders’ perceptions and attitudes towards coexistence.

Supervisor: Mónica Mendes