PhD Maria Fernanda Granda
About me
My research focuses on scientific challenges at the intersection of Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Medicine and Health, Education, and Sustainable Cities and Communities. A central challenge I address is understanding how digital technologies influence human behavior and well-being. This includes developing a framework to evaluate the addictive potential of software based on HCI design features and studying the effects of cyberaddictions on the health, emotional well-being, and academic performance of university students. I also contribute to the medical field through the AYNIBOT project, where I explore how social robotics can support emotional resilience in pediatric oncology patients.
In the field of education, I address scientific challenges related to enhancing teaching and learning processes through project-based learning in HCI and game-based business simulations, which improve decision-making and professional skills. Additionally, I address challenges related to sustainable and data-driven community development by designing AI-based predictive models to support decision-making in the commercial sector and by integrating technological solutions that strengthen local services and urban life.
Through these lines of work, my research advances human-centered, evidence-based technological innovation with direct impact on health, education, and community development.
I am a Full Professor and researcher in the Computer Science Department at the University of Cuenca, Ecuador. I hold a Ph.D. in Informatics from the Universitat Politècnica de València, a Master’s Degree in Information Systems Management, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Cuenca. My academic background also includes a postdoctoral program in the Social Sciences and Humanities, as well as a diploma in research project formulation.
My research focuses on software testing and quality, model-driven development, requirements engineering, human–computer interaction, and technology-based interventions for education and well-being. I have led and co-led several competitive research projects addressing topics such as software addiction risk assessment, cyberaddictions in university students, decision-support systems, and extended reality applications.
I have also led several community engagement projects aimed at integrating technology to address local societal challenges. Through these initiatives, I have collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to design and implement technological solutions that support responsible pet ownership, reduce environmental noise, and improve public services in the city of Cuenca. These projects demonstrate my dedication to applying research and innovation to deliver practical benefits to the community.
I have published in international journals and conferences, served as a reviewer for IEEE Access, Frontiers, and IET Software, and participated in scientific networks related to software engineering, human-computer interaction, and education. Additionally, I have supervised numerous undergraduate and master's theses. I have also participated in national and international research collaborations.
Other Memberships/Affiliations
Degrees:
Towards a functional requirements prioritization with early mutation testing. 5th International Workshop on Requirements Engineering and Testing (RET@ICSE2018), Gothenburg, Sweden, June 2, 2018.
Effectiveness Assessment of an Early Testing Technique using Model-Level Mutants. Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering (EASE 2017). Core Index A. Karlskrona, Sweden, June 16, 2017.
Using ALF within the CoSTest process for Validation of UML-based Conceptual Schemas. 36th International Conference on Conceptual Modeling (ER2017). Valencia, Spain, November 8, 2017.
CoSTest: A tool for Validation of Requirements at Model Level. 25th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference. (RE 2017). Lisbon, Portugal, September 7, 2017.
A Model-Level Mutation Tool to Support the Assessment of the Test Case Quality – Lecture Notes Information Systems. Publication: Print ISBN 978-3-319-52592-1, volume 22, 2017.
Mutation Operators for UML Class Diagrams. CAiSE 2016: 325-341
What do we know about the defect types detected in conceptual models? RCIS 2015: 88-99
Towards the automated generation of abstract test cases from requirements models. RET 2014: 39-46
An experiment design for validating a test case generation strategy from requirements models. EmpiRE 2014: 44-47
2013
Testing-Based Conceptual Schema Validation in a Model-Driven Environment. I Encuentro de Estudiantes de Doctorado de la Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain, June 12, 2014.
University of Catania - Italy
University of Seville – Spain
Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication
Institute for Systems and Technologies of Information, Control and Communication
Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas, Quito, Ecuador
University of Cuenca, Ecuador
University of Cuenca, Ecuador
Consejo de Aseguramiento de la Calidad Superior, Quito, Ecuador
Consejo de Aseguramiento de la Calidad de la Educación Superior, Quito, Ecuador
The Ecuadorian Corporation for the Development of Research and Academia
The Ecuadorian Corporation for the Development of Research and Academia
Ministry of Labor, Ecuador
University of Cuenca, Ecuador
The Ecuadorian Corporation for the Development of Research and Academia, Ecuador
Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador