Pereira is an assistant professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Central Florida. With her students, she performs research on technology development for the exploration of deep space, mainly through the use of small spacecraft and probes for the exploration of ocean worlds, such as Europa and Enceladus. She has worked on the development, integration, testing and operations of three spacecraft and the development, testing and modeling of melt probes for subsurface descent in the cryogenic vacuum ice found in icy moons in the outer solar system.

Pereira received her doctoral degree in space systems and her master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She also holds master’s degree in thermal sciences and engineering, a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, and a bachelor’s degree in business and management. Pereira has worked as an assistant professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, as a visiting researcher at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a graduate researcher at Stone Aerospace, and an optical and satellite systems intern at Facebook Connectivity Labs.

Pereira has published a patent, two book chapters, more than 30 papers and has over 600 citations. She is the chair of technical affairs of the AIAA Small Satellite Technical Committee, a member of the AIAA Space Exploration Integration Committee and co-lead of the Technology Subgroup of the Ocean Worlds Working Group, chartered by NASA’s Outer Planets Assessment Group to develop a technology roadmap for exploring ocean worlds. She is also a member of the American Astronomical Society, the American Geophysical Union and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. She has received various awards, including the AAS Molly Macauley Award, the Aviation Week 20 Twenties Award, the TVML fellowship from MIT and the Amelia Earhart Fellowship. 

• Space exploration
• Space systems
• Small satellites
• Probes for ocean worlds

• P. do Vale Pereira, M. J. Durka, B. P. Hogan, K. Richmond, M. W. E. Smith, D. P. Winebrenner, W. T. Elam, B. J. Hockman, A. Lopez, N. Tanner, J. Moor, J. Ralston, M. Alexander, W. Zimmerman, N. Flannery, W. Kuhl, S. Wielgosz, K. L. Cahoy, T. A. Cwik, W. C. Stone. Experimental Validation of Cryobot Thermal Models for the Exploration of Ocean Worlds, AAS Planetary Science Journal, 2023.
• E. M. Spiers, J. M. Weber, C. Venigalla, A. M. Annex, C. P. Chen, C. Lee, P. C. Gray, K. J. McIntyre, J. R. Berdis, S. R. Carberry-Mogan, P. do Vale Pereira, S. Kumar, W. O’Neill, E. A. Czajka, P. E. Johnson, A. Pascuzzo, S. Tallapragada, D. Phillips, K. Mitchell, A. Nash, J. Scully, L. Lowes. Tiger: Concept Study for a New Frontiers Enceladus Habitability Mission, AAS Planetary Science Journal, 2 (195), 2021.
• R. E. Morgan, E. S. Douglas, G. Allan, P. do Vale Pereira, J. N. Gubner, C. Haughwout, B. G. Holden, T. J. Murphy, J. Merk, M. D. Egan, G. Furész, D. Roascio, Y. Xin, K. L. Cahoy. Optical calibration and first light for the deformable mirror demonstration mission CubeSat (DeMi), Journal of Astronomical Telescopes Instruments and Systems 7(2), 2021.
• P. do Vale Pereira, B. Holden, R. Morgan, J. Gubner, T. J. Murphy, C. Haughwout, G. Allan, Y. Xin, W. Kammerer, K. Cahoy, E. Douglas, J. Merk, M. Egan, G. Furesz. Thermomechanical Design and Testing of the Deformable Mirror Demonstration Mission (DeMi) CubeSat, Small Satellite Conference, 2020.
• P. do Vale Pereira, M. Garcia, M. Schroeder, H. Caldelas, C. Lindsay, A. Choi, K. Pfrang, A. Gagnon, P. McKeen, J. Clark, T. J. Murphy, C. Haughwout, K. Cahoy. BeaverCube: Coastal Imaging with VIS/LWIR CubeSats, Small Satellite Conference, 2020.
• P. do Vale Pereira, M. T. Hunwardsen, K. Cahoy. Characterization of Laser Thermal Loading on Microelectromechanical Systems-Based Fast Steering Mirror in Vacuum, Optical Engineering 59(5), 2020.

• Trailblazer in Engineering, Purdue University, 2022
• Rising Star in Aerospace, MIT, 2021
• Molly K. Macauley Award, American Astronautical Society, 2021
• TVML Fellow, MIT, 2021
• Student Leadership Award, MIT AeroAstro, 2020 and 2021
• Rising Star in Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley, 2020
• Best Path to Flight Award, NASA BIG Idea Challenge, 2020
• AIAA/Aviation Week 20 Twenties, AIAA/Aviation Week, 2020
• Amelia Earhart Fellow, Zonta International Foundation, 2019
• Graduate Women of Excellence, MIT, 2019
• Section Achievement Award, AIAA, 2018

• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 
  • Small Satellite Technical Committee 
  • Chair of the Technical Affairs Subcommittee of the SmSTC
  • Deputy Technical Program Chair for the ASCEND 2023 and 2024 Conferences
  • Space Exploration Integration and Outreach Committee
• Ocean Worlds Working Group
  • Technology Group Co-Lead for Ocean Worlds Roadmap
• Network for Ocean Worlds affiliate
  • Future Leaders of Ocean Worlds 
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 
  • Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society
  • Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society
• American Astronomical Society 
• American Geophysical Union 

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