Meet the CCC Team

Responsibilities of the Cloud Competency Centre Team

The Cloud Competency Centre at NCI leads in cloud computing education and research.

Our advanced facilities foster comprehensive evaluation, incubation, and adoption of cloud technology for educational, commercial, and research purposes. In global collaboration, we spearhead a pan-European consortium under the Digital Europe Programme, actively partnering with academic institutions, industry, and MSE leaders. Committed to innovation, we develop master programs, shaping practices on a European scale.

Horacio Gonzalez-Velez

Professor of Computer Systems and Founding Head of The Cloud Competency Centre

Horacio González-Vélez is a Professor of Computer Systems and and Founding Head of The Cloud Competency Centre at National College of Ireland. Under his guidance, the Centre has grown exponentially, from some 20 students and a single EU-funded project in 2012 to hundreds of students and multiple EU-funded research projects underpinned by a capable team of professionals by 2023. His research has consistently sought to bridge the gap between data-intensive computational problems and their discrete patterns of computation and communication. He has harnessed his diverse background to engage with stakeholders of all backgrounds, skills, and genders, as he actively contributes to institutional committees, European working groups, and research strategy development. More details can be gathered through his LinkedIn and ORCID profiles.

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Alba González-Cebrián

Research Associate

Alba González-Cebrián is a Research Associate at the Cloud Competency Center, National College of Ireland (NCI). She earned an FPI grant for her Ph.D. in Statistics at the Universitat Politècnica de València in 2018. Her expertise lies in developing innovative solutions for Exploratory Data Analysis and integrating Machine Learning tools into healthcare environments. She is passionate about bridging the gap between machine learning and statistical reasoning, facilitating a deeper understanding of model decisions. Additionally, Alba is actively involved in promoting FAIR principles within the Open Data and Open Science community, working on data versioning standards.

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Meri Cvetkovska

EU Project Manager

Meri holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s in International Law and EU, specializing in human rights and equality. She is certified in agile methodologies. With seven years of experience in program management and coordination of diverse initiatives within multi-sector consortia, Meri has actively contributed to impactful education and youth programs, spanning both formal and informal education, as well as national curricula. Additionally, she has worked in advocacy, played a role in creating national policies, and contributed to building institutional capacities. Meri is also the co-author of a manual for peer education and has collaborated with esteemed organizations such as Erasmus+, UNESCO, and the World Health Organization.

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Fanny Rivera-Ortiz

Postdoctoral Researcher

An esteemed researcher at the Cloud Competency Centre, Dr Fanny Rivera-Ortiz is at the forefront of creating forensic-ready software systems. With a PhD in Computer Science from University College Dublin, her ground-breaking work focuses on assisting software developers in crafting systems that support digital investigations, especially in scenarios involving software data misuse. This entails logging capabilities that shed light on potential security incidents and unexpected data vulnerabilities. Fanny's vast experience spans a 15-year tenure as a Software Engineer in Mexico, complemented by her Master’s in Information Technologies and Bachelor's in Computer Systems Engineering. She passionately delves into areas like digital forensics, cloud computing, machine learning, and robotics. 

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Yao Yao

Postdoctoral Researcher

Distinguished Data Scientist Yao Yao marries technical prowess with innovation in knowledge integration and knowledge-driven AI deployment. Having made significant contributions to numerous EU Commission-funded projects, Yao's expertise lies in creating computational models that enable seamless knowledge integration, data analytics, and the development of agent-based frameworks. His acumen was recognised with the award of the Marie Curie post-doc Fellowship in 2019, paving his way into advanced AI research in Ireland. Yao's dedication to pushing the boundaries of AI remains unparalleled. 

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Jorge Mario Cortés-Mendoza

Postdoctoral Researcher

Hailing from a rich academic background in computer science, Dr Jorge Mario Cortés-Mendoza now excels as a postdoctoral researcher at the Cloud Competency Centre. With degrees from Autonomous University of Puebla and CICESE Research Centre, and research stints in Germany, Luxembourg, and Russia, Jorge's work is globally recognised. His academic pursuits have led him to explore domains such as cloud computing, load balancing, and artificial intelligence. Moreover, as a member of the National System of Researchers in Mexico since 2020, he actively contributes to advancing the field with his innovative insights. 

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