Self portrait while an astronomer. Fabricio Ferrari This is a brief explanation of my work with astronomy. My debut in astronomy was in a Brazilian-Russian experiment during the November 3rd, 1994 total solar eclipse, visible in south Brazil. The work was related to the solar corona. Soon after that, I changed to extragalactic astronomy, working with Dr Miriani Pastoriza with a set of NTT optical and H $\alpha$ data of elliptical and lenticular galaxies. The purpose of this work was to study the galaxies colors and light distributions to detect dust extinction traces. We were able to find that many early-type galaxies do contain cold interstellar dust. These data led to various works, notably my Msc dissertation and a paper in Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series (1999). Before the work with NTT data was completed, I began to reduce the ISO (Infrared Space Observatory) ISOCAM data, containing mid-IR (6, 9, 15 $\mu$ m) images of early type galaxies. Since the ISO data reduction is very complicated, I had to spent a short period with the ISOCAM software group in the Service d'Astrophisique, Saclay, France, where many of the ISOCAM idiosyncrasies were understood. Back to Porto Alegre, this work resulted in my PhD thesis and a paper in Astronomy and Astrophysics among other works. Both explains a new previously undetected phase of the ISM dust in early-type galaxies, a hot ( $T\sim 250$ K) dust phase composed of small grains and in much less quantity than that of the cold dust. Soon after the PhD end, I began to focus on galaxy dynamics. The idea is to understand the general structure of early-type galaxies: how they became what they are; why some are prolate, oblate or triaxial; why they are not the same. To this end, my PhD qualifying exam was about the dynamics of spheroidal galaxies, from which I learned a lot about the theory and models which are used to understand this objects. Then I began to work with the SOAR telescope software team here in Brazil. My duty was to develop a simulator to the SOAR telescope IFU prototype. This prototype, named Eucalyptus, was tested in the Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica, Itajubá, Brazil, to serve as a test to the final SOAR IFU spectrograph. The software I wrote (http://coala.ferrari.pro.br) simulates the data output from an IFU spectrograph, according to the input parameters (spectral type, microlenses configuration, fiber and CCD characteristics). The software main purpose is to test the IFU reduction software, which it is a critical part in a IFU data analysis. It could also serve to the observers as a preview of what should be expected from the IFU observations. During the aforementioned works, I have developed a good knowledge of data reduction and modeling. I have the opportunity to analyze data from NTT, HST/WFPC2, ISO/ISOCAM, Las Campanas/IRCAM, LNA/CamIV, LNA/Eucalyptus and Gemini/Hokupa $'$ a. I have also spent a week observing at Las Campanas Observatory and many other at the Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica, in the latter observing, testing instruments or software. Besides the physics and mathematics involved in the work, many computer languages and techniques were learned to achieve these results. All major programming languages and many advanced techniques were used in some point of the work. My experience includes high performance scientific programming, graphical user interfaces, network programming, device control, databases, image manipulation and others. I have a long experience with Unix, in special with Linux, which became the standard platform for all my work. During my spare time, I run a company specialized in Linux consulting and scientific applications. Last year I leaved research for a while to dedicate my time to teaching. During year 2004, I worked for Rio Grande do Sul state university (Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul) as a science professor. While teaching, I had opportunity to get some experience in many areas, working with many distinct disciplines such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistics and information technology. Now (begin 2005) I will try to develop a research group in a new area inside the University. In 2006, I was selected for professor of the new born Universidade Federal do Pampa, and moved to Bagé, RS, to fill the job. Here, I began to work with a physics course. Also, I'll have time to develop a consistent reasearch project. Fabricio Ferrari