Semida Silveira is a Professor of Practice in the Systems Engineering Program. Her goal is to contribute to science-based societal transformation, a global low-carbon circular economy, and sustainable development through transdisciplinary research, education, and actions with impact. Before joining Cornell University, she was a Full Professor in energy systems planning at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, where she established and led the Energy and Climate Division doing transdisciplinary research mainly on bioenergy, energy access, energy efficiency, and urban sustainability. She acted as KTH director of international cooperation with Brazil and Latin America and coordinated cooperation with the UNFCCC and UNCTAD. She has a Ph.D. in regional planning from KTH and an engineer-architect degree from UFMG Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Her work on climate and sustainability has grown towards an agenda for action, connecting technology, planning, and policy to steer societal transformation. This has taken her to transdisciplinary research and co-creation of systems solutions in cooperation with academics, multi-lateral organizations, government, and the private sector in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Previously, she worked as a sustainability and climate expert at the Swedish Energy Agency, and program manager for energy and climate at the Stockholm Environment Institute. She did research at MIT, IIASA, the University of Tübingen, and the University of Stockholm. Professor Silveira has acted on company boards of directors, and advisory committees including the Swedish Royal Academy of Science, Swedish Research Council, and Finnish Academy of Sciences, among others.