Rita Bento is a Full professor at the Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesourses of Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, Portugal. PhD in Civil Engineering /Structures from IST and a master's degree in Earthquake Engineering at Imperial College, London. She is specialized in earthquake engineering, structural behaviour, dynamics of structures, and strength of materials. Main research interests include assessment, strengthening, and repair of structures, structural testing and nonlinear modeling, earthquake engineering, and structural dynamics. Currently, she is Director of the PhD program of IST Analysis and Mitigation of Risks in Infrastructures (//infrarisk.tecnico.ulisboa.pt), a member of the Executive Board of ‘The European Association of Earthquake Engineering’ (EAEE) and a member integrated of the Research group of CERIS ‘Structures and Geotechnics’. Associated Editor of Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering and coordinated of EAEE Work Group 12 (WG12: Continuing Education and Professional Development). She is chairman of the Sub-commission 8 (Eurocode 8) of CT115 (Portuguese Technical Commission for Standardization of Structural Eurocodes). Representative of IPQ [Portuguese entity responsible for quality] at the Commission CEN/TC250/SC8.