Notable Alumni of Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro [Sorted List]

1. Rosiska Darcy de Oliveira

1944-. (aged 82)

writer journalist poet lawyer university teacher

Rosiska Darcy de Oliveira is a Brazilian journalist, writer and academic. Her works mainly deal with topics such as feminism, education and contemporary life. She was also a staunch opponent of the dictatorship in the country, established by the 1964 coup d'etat.

+ show more

2. Mariana Brochado

1984-. (aged 42)

swimmer

Mariana Nery Brochado is a Brazilian freestyle swimmer. She won the bronze medal in the women's 200-metre freestyle at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A member of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo swimming team, she also represented her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

+ show more

3. Bonifácio José Tamm de Andrada

1930-2021 (aged 91)

writer lawyer journalist politician

Bonifácio José Tamm de Andrada was a Brazilian politician affiliated to Democrats (DEM), law academic, university professor, political scientist and journalist.

+ show more

4. Baena Soares

1931-2023 (aged 92)

diplomat politician

João Clemente Baena Soares was a Brazilian diplomat.

5. Bernardo Sorj

1948-. (aged 78)

writer sociologist

Bernardo Sorj is a Brazilian social scientist, retired professor of Sociology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He is Director of The Edelstein Center for Social Research and of the Plataforma Democrática Project. He has published 30 books in several languages and more than 100 articles, on Latin American political development, international relations, the social impact of new...

+ show more

6. Luize Valente

1966-. (aged 60)

novelist writer journalist

Luize Valente, born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, of Portuguese and German origins, is a writer and documentary filmmaker, author of historical novels and awarded documentaries, and a journalist.

+ show more

7. Itaiguara Brandão

1968-. (aged 58)

guitarist

Itaiguara Mariano Brandão is a New York City-based recording artist and bassist. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Brandão has toured internationally and recorded extensively with a wide range of Latin and World Music artists such as: Dianne Reeves, Ivan Lins, Marcos Valle, Toquinho, Carlos Lyra, Roberto Menescal, Leny Andrade, Joyce (singer), Paulo Braga, Randy Brecker, Dom Salvador, Paquito...

+ show more

8. Carlos Laufer

composer musician

Carlos Laufer, better known mononymously as Laufer, is a Brazilian musician, songwriter and record producer.

9. Valeria de Paiva

1959-. (aged 67)

computer scientist logician mathematician

Valeria Correa Vaz de Paiva is a Brazilian mathematician, logician, and computer scientist. Her work includes research on logical approaches to computation, especially using category theory, knowledge representation and natural language semantics, and functional programming with a focus on foundations and type theories.

+ show more

10. Carola Saavedra

1973-. (aged 53)

writer

Carola Saavedra is a Chilean-born Brazilian writer.

11. José Maurício Bustani

1945-. (aged 81)

diplomat

José Maurício de Figueiredo Bustani is a Brazilian diplomat who was the first director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons until he was ousted after pressure from the US government in April 2002 over disagreements about how to address Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.

+ show more

12. Helio Jaguaribe

1923-2018 (aged 95)

economist lawyer writer sociologist university teacher

Helio Jaguaribe de Mattos was a Brazilian political scientist. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, the son of eminent geographer Francisco Jaguaribe de Mattos, and Francelina Santos Jaguaribe de Mattos. He studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University, graduating in 1946. As an academic, he specialized in the sociopolitical development of Brazil and Latin America. He taught at Harvard,...

+ show more

13. Geraldo Carneiro

1952-. (aged 74)

playwright composer poet translator television writer

Geraldo Carneiro is a Brazilian musician, writer and screenwriter.

14. Vira Vovk

1926-2022 (aged 96)

university teacher writer Ukrainian–German translator literary scholar translator

Vira Ostapivna Selianska (Ukrainian: Ві́ра Оста́півна Селя́нська, pen name Vira Vovk (Ukrainian: Ві́ра Вовк; 2 January 1926 – 16 July 2022) was a Ukrainian writer, critic and translator. She wrote in Ukrainian, German and Portuguese.

+ show more

15. Renata Souza

1982-. (aged 44)

politician

Renata da Silva Souza is a Brazilian politician. In 2018, Souza was elected a state deputy in the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro.

16. Angela Olinto

1961-. (aged 65)

physicist

Angela Villela Olinto is an American and Brazilian astroparticle physicist who is the provost of Columbia University. Previously, she served as the Albert A. Michelson Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago as well as the dean of the Physical Sciences Division. Her current work is focused on understanding the origin of high-energy cosmic rays, gamma rays, and neutrinos.

+ show more

17. Antônio Carlos Konder Reis

1924-2018 (aged 94)

politician

Antônio Carlos Konder Reis was a Brazilian politician.

18. Wilson Martins

1953-. (aged 73)

politician

Wilson Nunes Martins is a Brazilian politician and member of the Workers Party (PT). He served as Governor of Piauí from April 1, 2010, to April 2, 2014.

+ show more

19. Pedro Corrêa do Lago

1958-. (aged 68)

writer economist art historian photographer

Pedro Corrêa do Lago is a Brazilian art historian and curator who has formed the largest private collection of autograph letters and manuscripts in the world today. He is the author of over twenty books on manuscripts and Brazilian art and was president of Brazil's National Library from 2003 to 2005. In 2002, partnering with his wife Bia Corrêa do...

+ show more

20. Menezes Direito

1942-2009 (aged 67)

judge

Carlos Alberto Menezes Direito was a Brazilian judge who sat on the Supreme Federal Court, the highest court of law in Brazil, from his appointment in 2007 until his death in 2009.

+ show more

21. Carolina Araujo

1976-. (aged 50)

mathematician

Carolina Bhering de Araujo is a Brazilian mathematician specializing in algebraic geometry, including birational geometry, Fano varieties, and foliations. Other than her research in mathematics, she is also known for her efforts for improving the conditions for women mathematicians.

+ show more

22. Denise Frossard

1950-. (aged 76)

judge politician

Denise Frossard Loschi is a judge and politician from Brazil. She studied law and served as a magistrate in Rio de Janeiro. She has been a law professor at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. When she retired she started working for Transparency International.

+ show more

23. Aldemir Bendine

1963-. (aged 63)

banker business executive

Aldemir Bendine is the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Petrobras.

24. Adriana Ferreyr

1983-. (aged 43)

actor

Adriana Ferreyr is a Brazilian film, television, stage actress and entrepreneur.

25. Elizabeth de Portzamparc

1947-. (aged 79)

architect

Elizabeth de Portzamparc is a French-Brazilian architect.

26. Tatiana Salem Levy

1979-. (aged 47)

novelist writer film director

Tatiana Salem Levy is a Brazilian writer and translator.

27. Cristiana Peres

1987-. (aged 39)

actor

Cristiana Monteiro Peres, known professionally as Christiana Ubach, is a Brazilian actress. She played the lead role in a telenovela.

28. Gabriel o Pensador

1974-. (aged 52)

singer writer activist composer rapper

Gabriel Contino, better known as Gabriel o Pensador (Portuguese for "Gabriel the Thinker") is a Brazilian rapper, writer, and composer known for his conscious lyrics which speak of activism, and issues of race, politics, social problems, and the Catholic church. Gabriel began his music career when he launched a demo tape containing the song "Tô Feliz (Matei o Presidente)" I'm...

+ show more

29. Alice Caymmi

1990-. (aged 36)

singer songwriter singer-songwriter

Alice Caymmi is a Brazilian singer and songwriter. She is the granddaughter of Dorival Caymmi, daughter of Danilo and Simone Caymmi and niece of Nana and Dori Caymmi.

+ show more

30. Laila Zaid

1984-. (aged 42)

actor film actor

Laila Zajdenweber Kelson, known professionally as Laila Zaid, is a Brazilian actress.

31. Roberto Ierusalimschy

1960-. (aged 66)

computer scientist docent non-fiction writer visiting professor

Roberto Ierusalimschy is a Brazilian computer scientist, known for creating the Lua programming language. He holds a PhD in computer science from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro where he has an appointment as a full professor of informatics. He did a post-doc at University of Waterloo in 1992 and was visiting professor at Stanford University in 2012....

+ show more

32. Eduardo Spohr

1976-. (aged 50)

science fiction writer writer journalist

Eduardo Spohr is a Brazilian journalist, teacher, blogger, podcaster and fantasy and historical fiction writer. He is the author of A Batalha do Apocalipse (The Battle of the Apocalypse in free translation), one of the best selling fiction books of all time in Brazil. Spohr is also widely known as a regular contributor to the popular Brazilian podcast Nerdcast, created...

+ show more

33. Fausto Fawcett

1957-. (aged 69)

journalist actor writer science fiction writer novelist

Fausto Borel Cardoso, known professionally as Fausto Fawcett, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, lyricist, novelist, short story writer, playwright, journalist, actor and screenwriter, famous for his frequent collaborations with fellow musician Laufer and for being a major exponent of rap rock and cyberpunk literature in Brazil. His best known compositions are the 1987 hit "Kátia Flávia, a Godiva do Irajá" and...

+ show more

34. Márcia Kubitschek

1943-2000 (aged 57)

politician

Márcia Lemos Kubitschek de Oliveira was a Brazilian journalist and politician. The daughter of former president Juscelino Kubitschek and Sarah Kubitschek, she served as a federal deputy and as vice-governor of the Federal District.

+ show more

35. Danni Suzuki

1977-. (aged 49)

film actor television actor film director

Daniele Suzuki is a Brazilian actress, filmmaker, and television host.

36. Alessandro Molon

1971-. (aged 55)

teacher politician

Alessandro Lucciola Molon is a Brazilian teacher and politician, member of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) and former Leader of the Opposition in the Chamber of Deputies. He was the rapporteur to Brazil's Bill of Rights for the Internet (Marco Civil da Internet), ensuring net neutrality, privacy protection and freedom of expression online.

+ show more

37. Vinícius de Oliveira

1985-. (aged 41)

actor

Vinícius de Oliveira is a Brazilian actor.

38. Arminio Fraga

1957-. (aged 69)

banker economist professor

Armínio Fraga Neto is a Brazilian economist who was president of the Central Bank of Brazil from 1999 to 2003. From 1993 until his appointment to the Central Bank, he was Managing Director of Soros Fund Management in New York. Since 2001, he has been a member of the influential Washington-based financial advisory body, the Group of Thirty.

+ show more

39. Ilan Goldfajn

1966-. (aged 60)

politician economist

Ilan Goldfajn is an Israeli-Brazilian economist, former governor of the Central Bank of Brazil and former director of the International Monetary Fund's Western Hemisphere Department. In December 2022, he became president of the Inter-American Development Bank.

+ show more

40. Ricardo Vélez Rodríguez

1943-. (aged 83)

teacher philosopher writer

Ricardo Vélez Rodríguez is a Colombian-Brazilian philosopher and former Minister of Education of Brazil.

41. Nélida Piñon

1937-2022 (aged 85)

novelist editor writer

Nélida Piñon was a Brazilian author and professor. At the time of her death, Piñon was "considered among the foremost writers in Brazil today".

+ show more

42. Eduardo Viveiros de Castro

1951-. (aged 75)

anthropologist university teacher

Eduardo Batalha Viveiros de Castro is a Brazilian anthropologist and a professor at the National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

43. Carlos Diegues

1940-2025 (aged 85)

film director screenwriter

Carlos Diegues was a Brazilian film director, best known as a member of the Cinema Novo movement. He was popularly known for his unconventional, yet intriguing film techniques among other film producers of the Cinema Novo movement. Diegues was also widely known for his dynamic use of visuals, ideas, plots, themes, and other cinematic techniques. He incorporated many musical acts...

+ show more

44. Ciro Nogueira Lima Filho

1968-. (aged 58)

lawyer politician

Ciro Nogueira Lima Filho is a Brazilian lawyer, businessman, politician, and a member of the Progressistas (PP) party, of which he is the current president. He has represented Piauí in the Federal Senate since 2011. Previously, he was a Federal Deputy representing Piauí from 1995 to 2011. He is a member of Progressistas.

+ show more

45. Arnaldo Jabor

1940-2022 (aged 82)

actor screenwriter writer film director journalist

Arnaldo Jabor was a Brazilian film director and producer, screenwriter, writer, journalist and political pundit for Brazilian television network Rede Globo.

+ show more

46. Pedro Malan

1943-. (aged 83)

university teacher economist electrical engineer

Pedro Sampaio Malan is a Brazilian economist and former Minister of Finance of Brazil. He is the father of journalist and correspondent Cecília Malan.

+ show more

47. João Moreira Salles

1962-. (aged 64)

film director screenwriter

João Moreira Salles is a Brazilian documentarian and president of the Moreira Salles Institute. In 2006, he founded the magazine piauí. He has also taught courses on documentary at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and Princeton University.

+ show more

48. Fernanda Abreu

1961-. (aged 65)

writer singer

Fernanda Abreu is a Brazilian singer.

49. Marcelo Adnet

1981-. (aged 45)

comedian screenwriter composer Carnival producer television presenter

Marcelo França Adnet is a Brazilian actor, comedian and former VJ. He has been on many TV shows such as Adnet viaja ("Adnet travels") (2012), Adnet ao vivo ("Adnet live") (2011) and Comédia MTV ("MTV Comedy") (2010-2012). He was named by Época magazine as one of the 100 most influential Brazilians in 2009.

+ show more

50. Conceição Evaristo

1946-. (aged 80)

writer poet linguist university teacher

Maria da Conceição Evaristo de Brito is a Brazilian writer. Her work is marked by her life experiences as an Afro-Brazilian woman, which she calls escrevivência—a portmanteau of escrita (writing) and vivência (life experience). She was born into a humble family and is the second oldest of nine siblings, being the first in her household to earn a university degree....

+ show more

51. Marcelo Camelo

1978-. (aged 48)

composer songwriter guitarist singer

Marcelo de Souza Camelo is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, and poet. He is best known as composer and lead guitarist of the Brazilian band Los Hermanos. Since the end of the band, he continues composing for many interpreters, mainly Maria Rita and Ivete Sangalo. In 2008, his first solo CD, "Sou", was released.

+ show more

52. Jaques Wagner

1951-. (aged 75)

politician

Jaques Wagner is a Brazilian politician who was Governor of Bahia from 2007 to 2015 and Minister of Defence in 2015.

53. Rodrigo Constantino

1976-. (aged 50)

economist

Rodrigo Constantino dos Santos is a Brazilian economist, writer, columnist, and political commentator.

54. Gustavo Franco

1956-. (aged 70)

banker economist

Gustavo Henrique de Barroso Franco is a Brazilian economist. A former Governor of the Brazilian Central Bank, he is best known for being one of the "fathers" of the Real Plan, the 1994 monetary reform that ended hyperinflation in Brazil. He teaches economics at the Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro since 1986. He is also a businessman, consultant and...

+ show more

55. Marcelo Gleiser

1959-. (aged 67)

astrophysicist astronomer physicist journalist

Marcelo Gleiser is a Brazilian-American physicist and astronomer. He is the Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and a professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College.

+ show more

56. Lélia Gonzalez

1935-1994 (aged 59)

university teacher politician philosopher anthropologist human rights defender

Lélia de Almeida Gonzalez was a Brazilian intellectual, author, activist, professor, philosopher, and anthropologist. Being considered one of the principal authors of Black feminism in the country, Gonzalez's work is used as a reference in studies and debates surrounding gender, race, and class in Brazil, Latin America, and throughout the world. She also co-founded the Instituto de Pesquisas das Culturas...

+ show more

57. Moreira Franco

1944-. (aged 82)

politician sociologist

Wellington Moreira Franco is a Brazilian politician who served as the 54th Governor of Rio de Janeiro from 1987 to 1991 and Minister of Mines and Energy in 2018. He is a member of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB).

+ show more

58. Gustavo Bebianno

1964-2020 (aged 56)

lawyer politician

Gustavo Bebianno Rocha was a Brazilian lawyer and advisor to President Jair Bolsonaro (PSL). Bebianno became Acting Chairman of the Social Liberal Party in March 2018 after Luciano Bivar registered to run for federal deputy in the 2018 elections.

+ show more

59. Pedro Bial

1958-. (aged 68)

television presenter television director film director journalist poet

Pedro Bial is a Brazilian producer, director, writer, journalist and a TV presenter. He is best known for hosting the variety show Fantástico, and the reality show Big Brother Brasil (the Brazilian version of Big Brother).

+ show more

60. Arnaldo Antunes

1960-. (aged 66)

singer poet composer writer artivist

Arnaldo Antunes is a Brazilian singer, writer, and composer. He was a member of the rock band Titãs, which he co-founded in 1982 and left ten years later. After 1992, he embarked on a solo career. He has published poetry and had his first book published in 1983. He has worked with Marisa Monte, Tribalistas, Carlinhos Brown and Pequeno Cidadão.

+ show more

61. Walter Salles

1956-. (aged 70)

film director director racing automobile driver film producer screenwriter

Walter Moreira Salles Júnior is a Brazilian filmmaker. A major figure of the Resumption Cinema in Brazil, Salles is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers in Brazilian cinema. His accolades include an Academy Award accepted for Best International Film, three Cannes Film Festival prizes, three Venice Film Festival prizes, two British Academy Film Awards, a Golden Bear and...

+ show more

62. Paula Toller

1962-. (aged 64)

singer

Paula Toller is a Brazilian singer and songwriter. Toller is most known as the lead singer of Kid Abelha. In 1998, she released her self-titled first solo album, which was very well received. Her second solo album, titled SóNós, was released in 2007.

+ show more

63. Bernardo Rezende

1950-. (aged 76)

coach volleyball player beach volleyball player

Bernardo Rocha de Rezende, known as Bernardo Rezende and nicknamed Bernardinho, is a Brazilian volleyball coach and former player. He is the current coach of the female volleyball team Rio de Janeiro Vôlei Clube. Rezende is one of the most successful coaches in the history of volleyball, accumulating more than 30 major titles in a twenty-year career directing the Brazilian...

+ show more

64. Cláudia Abreu

1970-. (aged 56)

actor television actor

Cláudia Abreu is a Brazilian actress, screenwriter and producer.

65. Paulo Autuori

1956-. (aged 70)

association football player association football coach

Paulo Autuori de Mello, known as Paulo Autuori, is a Brazilian football executive and coach. He is the current manager of Peruvian club Sporting Cristal.

+ show more

66. Nara Leão

1942-1989 (aged 47)

singer jazz musician

Nara Lofego Leão was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB (popular Brazilian music) singer and occasional actress. Leão was married twice, to Ruy Guerra and subsequently Carlos Diegues, both film directors.

+ show more

67. Tiago Leifert

1980-. (aged 46)

journalist

Tiago Rodrigues de Leifert is a Brazilian journalist and television presenter.

68. Renata Vasconcellos

1972-. (aged 54)

journalist news presenter

Renata Fernandes Vasconcellos is a Brazilian newscaster and journalist.

69. Alice Wegmann

1995-. (aged 31)

television actor film actor actor artistic gymnast

Alice Wegmann Corrêa is a Brazilian actress.

70. Eduardo Paes

1969-. (aged 57)

politician

Eduardo da Costa Paes is a Brazilian politician who became the mayor of Rio de Janeiro from 2009 to 2012, reelected for a second term from 2013 to 2016 and a third in 2021. He is the city's 13th mayor. On 12 August, at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, he took the Olympic Flag, via Jacques Rogge, from London...

+ show more

71. Rodrigo Amarante

1976-. (aged 50)

singer songwriter guitarist

Rodrigo Amarante de Castro Neves is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger. He is part of the bands Los Hermanos, Orquestra Imperial, and Little Joy, and released his first solo record, Cavalo, in Brazil in late 2013 and worldwide in May 2014. He also wrote and performed the (bolero style) narcocorrido "Tuyo", the theme song for the Netflix Original...

+ show more

72. Maria Ribeiro

1975-. (aged 51)

writer film director television presenter actor

Maria do Amaral Ribeiro is a Brazilian actress, screenwriter and film director.

73. Gregório Duvivier

1986-. (aged 40)

television writer actor writer voice actor poet

Gregorio Byington Duvivier is a Brazilian actor, comedian and poet. He is known by his works in film and theater, being one of the members of the comedy troupe Porta dos Fundos.

+ show more

74. Iza

1990-. (aged 36)

television presenter dancer singer-songwriter

Isabela Cristina Correia de Lima Lima, known professionally as IZA, is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and dancer, who rose to fame recording cover songs of artists such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Sam Smith on her self-titled YouTube channel. She has also featured her songs on Spotify and SoundCloud. In May 2016, she signed a contract with Warner Music Brasil. Her...

+ show more

75. Rodrigo Santoro

1975-. (aged 51)

film actor actor television actor

Rodrigo Junqueira Reis Santoro is a Brazilian actor. He is known in Brazil for his appearances on local telenovelas, and internationally for his portrayal of the Persian king Xerxes in the film 300 (2006) and its sequel 300: Rise of an Empire (2014). Other credits include Brainstorm (2001), Carandiru (2003), Love Actually (2003), Che (2008), I Love You Phillip Morris...

+ show more

76. Marielle Franco

1979-2018 (aged 39)

politician human rights defender parliamentary aide sociologist women's rights activist

Marielle Franco was a Brazilian politician, sociologist, feminist, socialist and human rights activist. Franco served as a city councillor of the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro for the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) from January 2017 until her assassination.

+ show more

77. Bianca Comparato

1985-. (aged 41)

television actor film director actor film actor

Bianca de Souza Mendes Comparato is a Brazilian actress. She starred in Como Esquecer (2010), as well as A Menina sem Qualidades and Somos tão Jovens (both in 2013), the latter of which earned her the Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Carmem Teresa. In 2016, she gained international recognition for her starring...

+ show more

78. Glória Maria

1949-2023 (aged 74)

television presenter reporter journalist

Glória Maria Matta da Silva was a Brazilian journalist, reporter, and television host. With a career that spanned since the 1960s, she is widely considered the first television reporter and TV host of African descent to achieve national success in Brazil.

+ show more

79. João Dionísio Amoêdo

1962-. (aged 64)

engineer politician

João Dionisio Filgueira Barreto Amoêdo, also known as João Amoêdo, is a Brazilian banker, engineer and businessman. He is one of the founders of the New Party (NOVO), which he presided from September 2015 to July 2017, and was its candidate in the 2018 Brazilian presidential election.

+ show more

80. Albuíno Cunha de Azeredo

1945-2018 (aged 73)

engineer politician

Albuíno Cunha de Azeredo was a Brazilian civil engineer and politician. He served as the Governor of Espírito Santo from 1991 until 1995 as a member of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT).

+ show more

81. Tatá Werneck

1983-. (aged 43)

television presenter actor comedian film actor

Talita Werneck Arguelhes, better known as Tatá Werneck, is a Brazilian presenter, actress, comedian, musician, voice actress, screenwriter and reporter. She began her acting studies at just nine years old and, at eleven, she performed in her first theater show. Her debut on a televised program occurred in 2008, when she joined the cast of Dilemas de Irene. Two years...

+ show more