Medéia Veríssimo holds a PhD in Tourism from the University of Aveiro, obtained in 2018, with her doctoral research on service experience funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Education. She also holds a Master’s in Business Management from the University of Aveiro. Born in Brazil, she completed her bachelor's degree in Tourism at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), where she first engaged with participatory and inclusive methodologies, particularly in the context of community-based tourism. Since moving to Portugal in 2010, she has developed her academic and professional trajectory, focusing on the intersections of tourism and management. Currently, Medéia is an Assistant Professor at Universidade Portucalense in the Department of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture and a researcher in the Research Unit on Economics, Management and Information Technologies (REMIT). She also collaborates with GOVCOPP—Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness, and Public Policies—contributing to studies on tourism planning, workforce competencies, and education in tourism. She has participated in multiple research projects, including FCT-funded initiatives on tourism planning, as well as EU-funded projects in the creative industries and the Horeca sector. She has conducted extensive fieldwork throughout these projects, facilitating focus groups and participatory workshops with various stakeholders, including residents, tourists, industry professionals, and policymakers. In addition to her research, Medéia is the coordinator of the Bachelor's Degree in Tourism at Portucalense University. Under her leadership, the program has expanded its internationalization efforts, fostering student and faculty mobility while strengthening institutional partnerships. Her commitment to innovative pedagogical practices was recognized with a nomination at the Hospitality Education Awards 2024. In recent years, she has focused her research on education, training, and employability in tourism, as well as the development of new teaching methodologies. Medéia actively contributes to academic and professional networks. She is a member of the Plataforma Nacional de Turismo (PNT) and collaborates with international institutions, particularly in Brazil and Ibero-American countries, where she frequently participates as a keynote speaker. Additionally, she is involved with the Asociación de Cooperación Turística (ASICOTUR), working to strengthen ties between academia, the tourism industry, and policymakers. Her editorial experience includes serving as a Reviewer of the RT&D - Journal of Tourism and Development and Co-editor of Building Human Capital in Tourism and Hospitality: Perspectives from Theory and Practice, to be published by CABI, a book that explores workforce development and training in the sector. Beyond academia, she has extensive experience in event management, organizing scientific and cultural events at both national and international levels. She is also a professor of Event Management and Sociology of Tourism, with published research about events co-creation and the social impacts of tourism.