Ronnie de Souza Santos

Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Software Engineering at the University of Calgary | Head of the PLURISE Lab | Training the Next Generation of Software Engineers

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

About

I am a Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Software Engineering in the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering at the University of Calgary and Head of the PLURISE Lab (Plural Software Engineering for a Plural Society). I completed my PhD in Computer Science at the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, in 2019 and later conducted postdoctoral research at Dalhousie University. My research investigates socio technical aspects of software engineering, with emphasis on fairness and responsible artificial intelligence in software systems. I study topics such as software development processes, quality assurance, project management, and algorithmic bias in AI enabled systems. A central component of my research program considers how software engineering practices can incorporate principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion, contributing to the development of software systems that better reflect and support the diversity of society. My work appears in leading journals and international conferences in software engineering, and I collaborate with researchers across North America, Europe, and South America. Prior to my academic career, I accumulated more than eight years of professional experience in the software industry, working with software testing, quality assurance, and agile development in large scale software projects. This background continues to inform my research and teaching by connecting empirical investigation with the realities of software development practice.

Experience

  • University of Calgary (Permanent Full-time · 2 yrs 11 mos)
    • Program Director, MEng in Software Engineering
      Jul 2026 - Present · 1 mo

      Beginning today, July 1, I will serve as Program Director for the MEng in Software Engineering at the University of Calgary. Yay!

    • Tenure Track Assistant Professor
      Sep 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 11 mos

  • CESAR School (6 yrs)
    • Educational Consultant
      Jul 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 1 mo

    • Adjunct Professor
      Aug 2020 - Present · 6 yrs

      Course: Research and Communication Level: B.Sc. in Design Description: Lectures include understanding Empirical software engineering and research methods, and applying these concepts to develop scientific research on the Design field. Course: Unit Testing Level: Post-graduate (Certification) in Agile Testing Description: Lectures include understanding the importance of unit testing and TDD in agile software development and the creation of test classes and test methods using JUnit. Course: Exploratory Testing Level: Post-graduate (Certification) in Agile Testing Description: Lectures include understanding the importance and the application of exploratory testing on software quality.

  • Assistant Professor at Cape Breton University
    Jul 2022 - Aug 2023 · 1 yr 2 mos

  • CESAR (3 yrs)
    • Diversity and Inclusion Committee Member
      Feb 2022 - Jan 2023 · 1 yr

      Proud member of the inclusion and diversity committee focused on raising discussions and planning actions to promote diversity in the context of software development.

    • Software Quality Assurance Engineer
      Feb 2020 - Jul 2022 · 2 yrs 6 mos

      Developing software quality activities, including requirements validation, test design and test execution.

  • Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
    • Sessional Lecturer
      Jan 2021 - Jul 2022 · 1 yr 7 mos

      Course: Software Development (2022 Summer) Level: Undergrad - Computer Science Description: Lectures include techniques and methodologies for software development with modern tools and introduces students to the software development life cycle and best practices for source code management, testing, debugging, and building software Course: Advanced Software Development (2021 Summer) Level: M.Sc. in Computer Science Description: Lectures include Agile software development, continuous integration with automated builds, deployment, and configuration. In addition topics cover test driven development, readable code using S.O.L.I.D principles, and refactoring practices. Course: Software Development (2021 Winter) Level: Undergrad - Computer Science Description: Lectures include techniques and methodologies for software development with modern tools and introduces students to the software development life cycle and best practices for source code management, testing, debugging, and building software.

    • Postdoctoral Researcher
      Sep 2020 - Jul 2022 · 1 yr 11 mos

      In this project we are investigating the effects of crises, e.g. COVID 19 pandemic, on the work in the software industry. We are interested in understanding the effects of such crises on software projects and how it can impact software engineers' wellbeing.