71 Notable Alumni of Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Dilma Rousseff

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1947-.. (age 78)
Occupations: economist
Biography: Dilma Vana Rousseff is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the only woman to have held the Brazilian presidency. Since March 2023, she has been the Chair of the New Development Bank. She also served in the cabinet of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his first presidency—first as Minister of Mines and Energy, from 2003 to 2005, then as Chief of Staff from 2005 to 2010.

Getúlio Vargas

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1882-1954 (aged 72)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Getúlio Dornelles Vargas was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Due to his long and controversial tenure as Brazil's provisional, constitutional, dictatorial and democratic leader, he is considered by historians as the most influential Brazilian politician of the 20th century.

João Goulart

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1918-1976 (aged 58)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: João Belchior Marques Goulart, commonly known as Jango, was a Brazilian politician who served as the 24th president of Brazil from 1961 until a military coup d'état deposed him on 1964. He was considered the last left-wing president of Brazil until Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2003.

Manuela d'Ávila

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1981-.. (age 44)
Occupations: activistpoliticianwriterjournalist
Biography: Manuela Pinto Vieira d'Ávila is a Brazilian journalist, writer and politician, a member of the Communist Party of Brazil since 2001.

Leonel Brizola

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1922-2004 (aged 82)
Occupations: politiciancivil engineer
Biography: Leonel de Moura Brizola was a Brazilian politician. Launched into politics by Brazilian president Getúlio Vargas in the 1930–1950s, Brizola was the only politician to serve as elected governor of two Brazilian states. An engineer by training, Brizola organized the youth wing of the Brazilian Labour Party and served as state representative for Rio Grande do Sul and mayor of its capital, Porto Alegre.

Teori Zavascki

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1948-2017 (aged 69)
Occupations: lawyerjudge
Biography: Teori Albino Zavascki was a Brazilian judge who served as a Minister of the Superior Court of Justice from 8 May 2003 until 29 November 2012, appointed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and as a Minister of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil from 29 November 2012 until his death on 19 January 2017, having been appointed to the position by President Dilma Rousseff. At the time of his death he was the justice in charge of the trials resulting from Operation Car Wash.

Rosa Weber

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1948-.. (age 77)
Occupations: judge
Biography: Rosa Maria Pires Weber is a Brazilian magistrate, former justice and former president of the Supreme Federal Court, former president of the Superior Electoral Court and former justice of the Superior Labor Court.

Vitória Strada

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1996-.. (age 29)
Occupations: modelactortelevision actor
Biography: Vitória Longaray Strada is a Brazilian actress and model.

Humberto Gessinger

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1963-.. (age 62)
Occupations: violinistsingerpianistwritermulti-instrumentalist
Biography: Humberto Gessinger is best known as the musician, guitarist, and bassist from the Brazilian band Engenheiros do Hawaii.

Maria do Rosário

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1966-.. (age 59)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Maria do Rosário Nunes is a Brazilian teacher and politician. She graduated in pedagogy from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, and took a postgraduate degree at the University of São Paulo. From 2011 to 2014, she served as the Secretary for Human Rights under the Rousseff administration. With the exception of her three-year tenure as Human Rights Secretary, she has been a congresswoman since 2003, representing the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul as a member of the Worker's Party (Brazil).

Eduardo Bueno

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1958-.. (age 67)
Occupations: translatorjournalistwriter
Biography: Eduardo Romulo Bueno, also known as Peninha, is a Brazilian journalist, writer, translator, and YouTuber. Initially working as a journalist at newspapers, he became known his translation of books from English to Portuguese, and later for his books about various historical subjects. Beginning in the mid-2000s, also began hosting educational shows and television programs about Brazilian history. He is currently the host of his own YouTube channel, Buenas Ideias, in which he creates educational material about the history of Brazil in a relaxed setting. His channel, as of September 2024, has over 1.4 million subscribers.

Leona Cavalli

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1969-.. (age 56)
Occupations: film actortelevision actorstage actoractor
Biography: Alleyona Canedo da Silva, known professionally as Leona Cavalli, is a Brazilian actress and stage director.

Marcel van Hattem

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1985-.. (age 40)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Marcel van Hattem is a Brazilian political scientist, journalist, international relations consultant and politician. He currently serves in Brazil's Chamber of Deputies and is known for his conservative views.

Nelson Jobim

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1946-.. (age 79)
Occupations: judgepoliticianuniversity teacher
Biography: Nelson Azevedo Jobim is a Brazilian jurist, politician and businessman. He held the positions as congressman, Minister of Justice, Minister of Defense, Minister of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), where he was also president from 2004 to 2006. He is a member of the board of directors and responsible for institutional relations and compliance policies at BTG Pactual Bank.

Moacyr Scliar

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1937-2011 (aged 74)
Occupations: short story writerphysicianwriternovelist
Biography: Moacyr Jaime Scliar was a Brazilian writer and physician. Most of his writing centers on issues of Jewish identity in the Diaspora and particularly on being Jewish in Brazil.

Marcia Tiburi

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1970-.. (age 55)
Occupations: university teacherwriternovelistphilosopher
Biography: Márcia Angelita Tiburi is a Brazilian plastic artist, professor of philosophy, literary critic, and writer. Her main areas of research are ethics, aesthetics, and the philosophy of knowledge.

Olívio Dutra

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1941-.. (age 84)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Olívio de Oliveira Dutra is a Brazilian politician. He is a founding member of the Workers' Party.

Mário Ferreira dos Santos

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1907-1968 (aged 61)
Occupations: philosopherwritertranslatorlawyer
Biography: Mário Ferreira dos Santos was a Brazilian philosopher, translator, writer and anarchist activist. He was born in Tietê, São Paulo.

Luciana Genro

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1971-.. (age 54)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Luciana Krebs Genro is a Brazilian politician, state deputy and one of the founders of the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL). In 2014, she was the PSOL nominee for President of Brazil. She came in 4th place, receiving more than 1.6 million votes nationally. She is the daughter of Tarso Genro, a Workers' Party (PT) politician and former governor of Rio Grande do Sul.

Lya Luft

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1938-2021 (aged 83)
Occupations: translatorpoetnovelistwriterjournalist
Biography: Lya Fett Luft was a Brazilian writer and a prolific translator, working mostly in the English-Portuguese and the German-Portuguese language combinations.

Werner Schünemann

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1959-.. (age 66)
Occupations: screenwritertelevision actorfilm directoractor
Biography: Werner Eduardo Schünemann is a Brazilian actor, director, and screenwriter.

Antônio Britto

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1952-.. (age 73)
Occupations: businesspersonjournalistpolitician
Biography: Antonio Britto Filho is a Brazilian journalist and politician, who held the positions of Congressman, Social Security Minister, and Governor of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Fabrício Carpi Nejar

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1972-.. (age 53)
Occupations: poetwriter
Biography: Fabrício Carpi Nejar or Fabricio Carpinejar is a Brazilian writer. He was born in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul. His father is the poet Carlos Nejar.

Jorge Furtado

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1959-.. (age 66)
Occupations: screenwriterwriterfilm directorfilm screenwriter
Biography: Jorge Alberto Furtado is a Brazilian film and television director and screenwriter.

Carlos Marun

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1960-.. (age 65)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Carlos Eduardo Xavier Marun is a Brazilian politician, member of the Chamber of Deputies, lawyer and civil engineer. He is part of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB). Currently, is Secretary of Government, nominated by president Michel Temer.

Alceu Collares

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1927-2024 (aged 97)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Alceu de Deus Collares was a Brazilian politician and lawyer. He was the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul state (1991–95), and was also a member of the Chamber of Deputies and Mayor of Porto Alegre (1986–89).

José Fortunati

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1955-.. (age 70)
Occupations: politician
Biography: José Alberto Reus Fortunati is a Brazilian lawyer, politician, and member of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT). Fortunati served as the Mayor of Porto Alegre from March 30, 2010, to January 1, 2017. He won re-election in 2012 with 65.2% of the vote in the city's mayoral election.

Germano Rigotto

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1949-.. (age 76)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Germano Antônio Rigotto is a Brazilian politician currently affiliated to the MDB.

Marcio Pochmann

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1962-.. (age 63)
Occupations: university teachereconomist
Biography: Marcio Pochmann is a Brazilian economist, academic, and politician who has served as President of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), a research institute of the Ministry of Planning and Budget, since August 2023.

Regina Silveira

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1939-.. (age 86)
Enrolled in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul: 1957-1959 graduated with bachelor's degree
Occupations: photographerpainterprintmakeruniversity teacherexhibition curator
Biography: Regina Silva Silveira is a Brazilian artist known for her work with light, shadows and distortions exploring ideas of reality. Silveira has used many media throughout her career but focuses mainly on videography, painting, and printmaking (including some lithography.) She is based in São Paulo.

Fernanda Melchionna

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1984-.. (age 41)
Occupations: politicianlibrariancouncil member
Biography: Fernanda Melchionna e Silva is a Brazilian politician and former bank clerk and librarian. She has spent her political career representing the state of Rio Grande do Sul, having served as federal deputy representative since 2019.

Paulo Renato Souza

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1945-2011 (aged 66)
Occupations: politicianeconomist
Biography: Paulo Renato Costa Souza was a Brazilian economist and politician.

Paulo Brossard

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1924-2015 (aged 91)
Occupations: university teacherpoliticianlawyerjudge
Biography: Paulo Brossard de Souza Pinto was a Brazilian jurist and politician. Born in Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul, he graduated in Law and served several terms as a parliamentarian in his state and in the National Congress as well. He also was a member of the Supreme Federal Court and the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil.

Marco Aurélio Garcia

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1941-2017 (aged 76)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Marco Aurélio Garcia was a Brazilian politician, as a member of the Workers' Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores). He was a professor of Latin American History on leave from UNICAMP University and a left idealist. He was previously professor at the Latin American Social Science Faculty of the University of Chile and of the Paris-VIII and Paris-X universities.

José Lutzenberger

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1926-2002 (aged 76)
Occupations: writerpoliticianenvironmentalist
Biography: José Antônio Kroeff Lutzenberger was a Brazilian agronomist and environmentalist. In 1988, he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for his "contribution to protecting the natural environment in Brazil and worldwide".

José Paulo Bisol

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1928-2021 (aged 93)
Occupations: politician
Biography: José Paulo Bisol was a Brazilian politician and judge. Bisol most notably served as the vice presidential running mate of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, in the 1989 presidential election. Bisol was originally set to serve as Lula's running mate in the 1994 presidential election, but was replaced by Aloizio Mercadante. Bisol was famous for being an opponent of corruption, and was said to have had a "Mr. Clean" image that was damaged by accusations surrounding his career as a judge during the 1994 campaign.

Carlos Gorito

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1986-.. (age 39)
Occupations: diplomatsocialite
Biography: Carlos Augusto Cardoso Gorito is a Brazilian who lives and performs in South Korea as a television personality and embassy worker. He is currently a cast member in the talk show Non-Summit. In 2015, he wrote a column for the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper on topics like association football, Korean Wave and traditional festivals.

Marcia Barbosa

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1960-.. (age 65)
Enrolled in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul: 1984-1988 graduated with doctorate in physics
Occupations: physicistuniversity teacher
Biography: Márcia Cristina Bernardes Barbosa is a Brazilian physicist known for her research on the properties of water, and for her efforts for improving the conditions for women in academia. She is a professor at UFRGS, and a director of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. She is the rector of UFRGS.

Luís Inácio Adams

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1965-.. (age 60)
Occupations: lawyer
Biography: Luís Inácio Lucena Adams is a Brazilian lawyer who was appointed to be Brazil's Attorney General on 23 October 2009.

Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1936-.. (age 89)
Occupations: entrepreneur
Biography: Jorge Gerdau Johannpeter is a Brazilian businessman and a former executive of Gerdau. He has since been an advisor to the government of Brazil under Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff. In 2012, his net worth was estimated to be R$1,87 billion ($926 million).

Francisco de Paula Brochado da Rocha

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1910-1962 (aged 52)
Occupations: politicianuniversity teacherlawyer
Biography: Francisco de Paula Brochado da Rocha was a Brazilian counsel, professor and politician.

Ronaldo Nogueira

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1966-.. (age 59)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Ronaldo Nogueira de Oliveira is a Brazilian administrator, pastor of Assembly of God Church and politician, affiliated to the Brazilian Labor Party. Currently, is discharged federal deputy and minister of Labour and Social Security of Brazil since 12 May 2016, appointed by president Michel Temer.

José Mariano Beltrame

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1957-.. (age 68)
Occupations: writerpolice officerlawyer
Biography: José Mariano Benincá Beltrame is a Brazilian federal police commissioner and former Secretary of Security of Rio de Janeiro.

Alessandro Teixeira

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1972-.. (age 53)
Occupations: politicianeconomist
Biography: Alessandro Golombiewski Teixeira is a Brazilian economist. From April to May 2016, he was Brazil´s Minister of Tourism and left after Dilma Rousseff was impeached.

Ellen Gracie

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1948-.. (age 77)
Occupations: judgejuristlawyer
Biography: Ellen Gracie Northfleet is a Brazilian judge. She is the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Brazil and the Court's first female president.

Maria Berenice Dias

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1948-.. (age 77)
Occupations: juristjudge
Biography: Maria Berenice Dias is a Brazilian judge and the first woman to take the bench in her home state of Rio Grande do Sul. Dias obtained her Post Graduate Degree and Master in Civil Proceeding from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Nestor Forster

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1963-.. (age 62)
Occupations: diplomatwriter
Biography: Nestor José Forster Júnior is a Brazilian diplomat, who formerly served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil to the United States of America in Washington, D.C.

Fábio Medina Osório

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1967-.. (age 58)
Occupations: lawyerpolitician
Biography: Fábio Medina Osório is a lawyer, professor, and former Attorney General of Brazil. He is the former State Prosecutor of Rio Grande do Sul, and was appointed Attorney General of Brazil by Acting President Michel Temer.

Ana Lucia Araujo

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1971-.. (age 54)
Enrolled in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul: Studied in 1995
Occupations: historianwriter
Biography: Ana Lucia Araujo is an American historian, art historian, author, and professor of history at Howard University. She is a member of the International Scientific Committee of the UNESCO Slave Route Project. Her scholarship focuses on the transnational history, public memory, visual culture, and heritage of slavery and the Atlantic slave trade.

Padma Samten

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1949-.. (age 76)
Occupations: Lama
Biography: Padma Samten is a Brazilian Buddhist lama.

Luiza Helena de Bairros

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1953-2016 (aged 63)
Occupations: politiciansociologistofficial
Biography: Luiza Helena de Bairros was a Brazilian administrator and sociologist. She was the chief minister of the Special Secretariat for Policies to Promote Racial Equality between 2011 and 2014.

Michel Laub

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1973-.. (age 52)
Occupations: writerjournalistnovelist
Biography: Michel Laub is a Brazilian writer and journalist.

Angélica Freitas

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1973-.. (age 52)
Occupations: writertranslatorpoetjournalist
Biography: Angélica Freitas is a Brazilian poet and translator.

Jeferson Tenório

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1977-.. (age 48)
Enrolled in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul: Graduated with master's degree
Occupations: writerplaywrightprose writerteacher
Biography: Jeferson Tenorio is a Brazilian writer. He was born in Rio de Janeiro and now lives in Porto Alegre. He obtained a PhD in Literary Theory from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS). His stage texts and short stories have been translated into English and Spanish.

Vilson Pedro Kleinübing

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1944-1998 (aged 54)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Vilson Pedro Kleinübing was a Brazilian politician who served as Governor of Santa Catarina from 1991 until 1994.

Darcísio Perondi

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1947-.. (age 78)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Darcisio Paulo Perondi is a Brazilian politician and pediatrician. He has spent his political career representing São Paulo, having served as federal deputy representative from 1995 to 2011 and from 2015.

Thaisa Storchi Bergmann

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1955-.. (age 70)
Occupations: astrophysicistuniversity teacher
Biography: Thaisa Storchi Bergmann is a Brazilian astrophysicist working at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil. She won the Women in Science Award in 2015 for her work on supermassive black holes.

Gilson Langaro Dipp

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1944-2022 (aged 78)
Occupations: judge
Biography: Gilson Langaro Dipp was a Brazilian jurist and magistrate. He served as Minister of the Superior Court of Justice from 1998 to 2014.

Luisa Geisler

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1991-.. (age 34)
Occupations: writer
Biography: Luisa Geisler is a Brazilian writer.

Cesar Victora

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1952-.. (age 73)
Occupations: university teacherepidemiologist
Biography: Cesar G. Victora is a Brazilian-born epidemiologist, academic and specialist in child health and nutrition. He is an Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology at the Federal University of Pelotas and holds or has held honorary appointments at the Universities of Harvard, Oxford, and Johns Hopkins, and at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Rosana Pinheiro-Machado

Occupations: anthropologistsocial scientistuniversity teacher
Biography: Rosana Pinheiro-Machado is a Brazilian anthropologist, currently a professor at the School of Geography at University College Dublin. She has been a lecturer at the Department of Social & Policy Sciences at the University of Bath and studies the economic and political effects of trade in the Global South, particularly in Brazil and China. She is also a columnist for The Intercept.

Henrique Córdova

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1938-2020 (aged 82)
Occupations: politician
Biography: Henrique Córdova was a Brazilian politician. He served as Governor of Santa Catarina from 1982 to 1983. He also served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies 1986 to 1991 and 1975 to 1979, as well as the Legislative Assembly of Santa Catarina from 1967 to 1975.

Euclides Scalco

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1932-2021 (aged 89)
Occupations: pharmacistpolitician
Biography: Euclides Scalco was a Brazilian politician who also co-founded the Brazilian Social Democracy Party.

Marcelo Birck

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1965-.. (age 60)
Occupations: singerguitarist
Biography: Marcelo de Campos Velho Birck is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, lyricist, arranger and guitarist, best known for his work with influential rock band Graforreia Xilarmônica.

Patricia Pranke

Years: 1967-.. (age 58)
Occupations: university teacherbiochemist
Biography: Patricia Helena Lucas Pranke is a Brazilian stem cell researcher at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Between 2003 and 2005, Pranke was one of two scientists who helped the Federal Government of Brazil write the National Biosafety Law, regulating research on human embryonic stem cells in Brazil.

Irene Brietzke

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1944-2021 (aged 77)
Occupations: actor
Biography: Irene Beatriz de Mattos Brietzke was a Brazilian actress and theatre director.

Demetrius Klee Lopes

Born in: United States
Years: 1970-.. (age 55)
Enrolled in the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul: 1987-1993 graduated with Doctor of Medicine
Occupations: neuroscientistneurosurgeon
Biography: Demetrius Klee Lopes is a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon specializing in neuroendovascular therapy. At Advocate Health, he serves as medical director of the cerebrovascular and neuroendovascular program and is co-director of their stroke program.

Carlo Pianta

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1967-.. (age 58)
Occupations: composerguitarist
Biography: Carlo Machado Pianta is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist best known for being a founding member of two of the most important rock bands from Rio Grande do Sul during the mid-1980s: DeFalla and Graforreia Xilarmônica.

Ana Luiza Koehler

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1977-.. (age 48)
Occupations: comics artist
Biography: Ana Luiza Koehler, is a Brazilian comics artist and architect. She has a master's degree in architecture from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and has worked with illustration since 1993, mainly with publishers of the Franco-Belgian comics market.

José Mauro Volkmer de Castilho

Years: 1946-1998 (aged 52)
Occupations: computer scientistartificial intelligence researcher
Biography: José Mauro Volkmer de Castilho was a Brazilian scientist, teacher and researcher.

Juli Manzi

Born in: Brazil
Years: 1976-.. (age 49)
Occupations: writer
Biography: Giuliano Tosin, better known by his stage name Juli Manzi, is a Brazilian musician and biographer.

# 🏆	University name	Country & City
1	University of Sao Paulo	Sao Paulo
2	Federal University of Rio de Janeiro	Rio de Janeiro
3	State University of Campinas	Campinas
4	Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul	Porto Alegre
5	Federal University of Minas Gerais	Belo Horizonte
6	Sao Paulo State University	Sao Paulo
7	Federal University of Santa Catarina	Florianopolis
8	Federal University of Parana	Curitiba
9	University of Brasilia	Brasilia
10	Federal University of Pernambuco	Recife
11	Federal University of Bahia	Salvador
12	University of the State of Rio de Janeiro	Rio de Janeiro
13	Fluminense Federal University	Niteroi
14	Federal University of Sao Paulo	Sao Paulo
15	Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro	Rio de Janeiro
16	Federal University of Ceara	Fortaleza
17	Federal University of Sao Carlos	Sao Carlos