Welcome! My name is Thiago Porto, I am Assistant Professor in the Department of Operative Dentistry in the College of Dentistry at the University of Iowa. Here at the College my co-workers and students called me Dr. Porto. I have been here since June 2022, and it has been a very challenging but rewarding journey. That means a lot of professional and personal growth. I started in Academia approximately 20 years ago while I was doing my Master’s in Restorative Dentistry at the Sao Paulo State University. Then after my master’s I completed a combined training in Implantology and Prosthodontics. Later I joined the Restorative Dentistry PhD program in the same University. Therefore, while doing my PhD program I had the opportunity to have a scholarship and I spent one year in the School of Dental Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, that was where my journey teaching in the USA started. However, my passion for teaching comes from way before, learning about my student’s background and life stories. Learning about every single one of them teaches and show me the resilience and determination of every individual as human beings. I value the one-on-one interaction and that is what keep me moving forward.