Ricardo Caldas Santana

I’m a Ph.D. candidate in Human-Centered AI at the Intelligent Systems Department and the Media & Language Research Arena (WASP), supervised by Dr. Pereira. My work explores how representation learning and large language models (LLMs) can enable natural and transparent collaboration between humans and machines.

Prior to academia, I spent two years as a digital consultant at McKinsey & Company, leading AI-driven projects and launching new ventures in logistics, insurance, and energy. I earned my M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from TU Delft, where I applied deep reinforcement learning to optimize air traffic management, advised by Dr. Sharpanskykh and Dr. Wei (GWU).

I’m passionate about leveraging intelligent systems to improve education, public safety, transportation, and healthcare. Whether you’re a master’s student looking for a research project, a peer interested in collaboration, or simply curious about these topics, feel free to reach out!