Virtual gathering to highlight international collaboration with Federal University of Parana in Brazil

An upcoming virtual workshop will feature the expanding partnership between West Virginia University and the Universidade Federal do Parana (UFPR) in Brazil. The April 9, 2021 one-day event, entitled “Research Across Borders,” will emphasize opportunities to expand and develop new collaborations in research, faculty development and graduate student exchanges.

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

The event is organized by the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences and the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and supported by the WVU Office of Global Affairs along with the UFPR Agency for International Affairs.

“Faculty and graduate students from various WVU units will participate in the April 9 virtual workshop, including the Statler College Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, the CPASS Center for ActiveWV and Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Sciences,” Gonzalo Bravo, CPASS sport management associate professor and one of the event organizers, said. “From UFPR, the Department of Chemical Engineering and School of Physical Education, including the Center for Studies in Motor Behavior and Center for Studies in Physical Performance, will join in the conversation.”

Bravo says that the discussions will feature current advances in research in both disciplines. These sessions are aimed to facilitate networks for faculty and graduate students of both universities and to expand collaboration in projects of mutual interest. “As a host, we want to let the WVU and UFPR communities know that this partnership exists so other units might start exploring future connections with their respective counterparts either at UFPR or WVU,” he said.

The ongoing cooperative effort with UFPR began with the signing of an MOU in the fall of 2017 and then was expanded in the fall of 2018 when Fernando Mezzadri, professor and vice-rector of UFPR visited WVU and CPASS. “During the visit, he met with Fernando V. Lima, associate professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the Statler College. That meeting helped to expand the existing partnership which now includes the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the Statler College and the Department of Chemical Engineering at the School of Engineering and Architecture at UFPR,” Bravo said.

“Since Mezzadri’s visit, we have started to explore common research interests between both chemical engineering departments at WVU and UFPR on renewable energy and shale/bio gas conversion technologies,” Lima stated.

For more information about this collaboration, contact

Gonzalo Bravo,  gonzalo.bravo@mail.wvu.edu, CPASS, or Fernando V. Lima,  Fernando.Lima@mail.wvu.edu, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering with the Statler College.

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