Rodrigo Fonseca Interview

Immigrant Computer Scientists

Episode 8. Interview with Rodrigo Fonseca, Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research. Formerly: Tenured Associate Professor of Computer Science, Brown University. Nationwide topper among 42K students of Brazil entrance exam to UFMG. Twice immigrant from Brazil to US, in 1990s (high school exchange student) and 2000s (PhD and work).

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1. Rodrigo Fonseca Interview (00:00:00)

2. Early childhood, 1980s. (00:03:44)

3. Drawing a diorama of a computer before he had one, 1980s. (00:07:26)

4. Brazil vs. US High School System, 1980s/90s. (00:09:15)

5. Portuguese language in Brazil schools. (00:17:27)

6. High school Exchange student in US, 1990s. (00:18:54)

7. Standing 1st out of 42,000 students, Entrance Exam to UFMG Brazil, 1990s. (00:24:59)

8. First Love: Architecture (Building Kind, not Computer Hardware), 1990s. (00:34:19)

9. Should undergrads start research early or late? (00:41:59)

10. Coming to US for PhD, 2002. (00:43:31)

11. Did his Brazil BS batchmates go to grad school, 2000s? (00:46:33)

12. Why he didn't take Brazil Govt. funding for US PhD, 2002. (00:48:46)

13. Industry vs. Academia: Choice at end of PhD, 2008. (00:51:02)

14. From Brown University Professor to Microsoft Research, 2020. (00:53:58)

15. Failures and Rejections. (00:54:45)

16. Perspectives, Retrospectives, Advice! (00:55:45)

17. The "in between" mindset. (00:57:41)

18. Always in difficult immigrant transitions in life. (00:59:05)

19. Brazil Government’s long-term investment in technology: the story of Embraer and ITA. (00:59:52)