Maria Cecilia Loschiavo dos Santos is a philosopher and an  associate professor of Design at the School of Architecture and Urbanism, University of São Paulo. She got her MA at University of São Paulo, Philosophy, in Aesthetics, 1975 and her Ph.D. at the University of São Paulo, Philosophy, in Aesthetics, 1993. She was a visiting scholar in postdoctoral programs at: University of California, Los Angeles. School of Public Policy and Social Research, 1995-96; University of Campinas, Brazil, Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences, 1997; Nihon University, Tokyo, College of Design and Arts, 1999; Canadian Center for Architecture, Montreal, 2001. She has published  many articles in Brazilian design magazines and international academic conferences. She is the author of several books, among them Móvel Moderno no Brasil. Her current research is about Discarded Products, Design and Homelessness in Global Cities and she is deeply committed to design and social responsibility issues.