Paula do Vale Pereira

Paula do Vale Pereira is an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida’s College of Engineering. She leads research in deep space exploration technologies, focusing on small spacecraft and probes for ocean worlds like Europa and Enceladus. Her work includes cryobot development for subsurface ice exploration and CubeSat mission design.

Education: She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from MIT, an M.S. in Thermal Sciences from MIT, B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business/Management. Prior roles include Assistant Professor at Florida Institute of Technology, Visiting Researcher at NASA JPL, and internships at Facebook Connectivity Labs and Stone Aerospace.

Research Interests: Her studies bridge planetary science and engineering, emphasizing thermal systems for extreme environments, CubeSat applications, and mission architecture for ocean worlds. She collaborates with NASA’s Outer Planets Assessment Group and chairs AIAA Small Satellite Technical Committee’s Technical Affairs Subcommittee.

Publications & Awards: Over 30 papers, 600+ citations, 2 book chapters, and patents. Recognitions include the AAS Molly Macauley Award, TVML Fellowship, and Amelia Earhart Fellowship. Her work spans NASA-funded projects and industry partnerships.

Professional Activities: Leads the Ocean Worlds Working Group’s Technology Subgroup, participates in AIAA committees, and advises on CubeSat missions. Her research team develops open-source tools for CubeSat control systems and thermal modeling frameworks.