Thaïs Burmeister de Campos Pires is Director for Initiatives in Brazil at the University of Notre Dame and has been part of Notre Dame’s global engagement in Brazil since 2014. Over the past 12 years, she has played a central role in building Notre Dame’s presence in Brazil and developing relationships with universities, research institutions, corporations, foundations, government organizations, alumni, students, and families.
Her work focuses on building academic and research partnerships, supporting study abroad and student recruitment initiatives, and creating opportunities for meaningful connections among Brazilian students, faculty, alumni, and the University. She also contributes to Notre Dame Global’s Latin America Faculty Advisory Committee, helping connect Notre Dame São Paulo with faculty engagement and regional priorities. In 2025, she helped bring together Notre Dame and Brazilian scholars for Bridging Worlds: Cultivating Research Partnerships for Climate Hope, a conference held in São Paulo ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
She continues to develop initiatives that position Notre Dame São Paulo as a vibrant bridge between the University and Brazil’s academic, research, and innovation communities, while fostering opportunities for human development, mentoring, and cross-cultural learning.
Thaïs brings more than four decades of experience in psychology, career advising, and international education. Before joining Notre Dame, she spent 18 years with the U.S. Department of State’s EducationUSA office in São Paulo. Her background in psychology and career development continues to shape her approach to international engagement and her commitment to human development, mentoring, and the transformative power of education.
Over the course of her career, Thaïs has evolved from advising individual students to building partnerships and communities. She believes international education creates meaningful connections across cultures, disciplines, and perspectives, and is inspired by its potential to foster personal growth, collaboration, and greater understanding.
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