Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz graduated in Electrical Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico da Aeronáutica (ITA) in 1978, received a MSc degree in Physics in 1980 and a DSc degree in Physics in 1983, both from the Physics Institute “Gleb Wataghin” at the State University at Campinas (Unicamp). During 1981 Dr. Brito Cruz was a researcher at the Quantum Optics Laboratory, at the University of Rome. In 1982 Dr. Brito Cruz was appointed a professor at the Physics Institute at Unicamp. During 1986 and 1987 Dr. Brito Cruz worked as a resident visitor at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, NJ. In 1990 he was a visitor for three months at Bell Labs, Murray Hill, NJ. Dr. Brito Cruz has been the Vice-President (1995-1999) of the Brazilian Physics Society (SBF) and has served as Editor of the Revista Brasileira de Física Aplicada e Instrumentação (1992-1997). From 1991 to 1994 he served as a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Optical Society of America (OSA). From 1991 to 1994, and from 1998 to 2002, he was the Director of the Physics Institute at Unicamp. From 1994 to 1998 he was the Dean of Research at the State University at Campinas (Unicamp). From 1996 till 2002 he has served as the President of the Foundation for the Support of Research in the State of São Paulo, Fapesp. From April 2002 to April 2005 he was President of The State University of Campinas, Unicamp. Since April, 2005 Prof. Brito Cruz is the Scientific Director of Fapesp.