Nadene Goldfoot 
Nuno Loureiro, professor and director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, dies at 47
Claudio Manuel Neves Valente entered the U.S. in August 2000 on an F-1 student visa to study at Brown University, later becoming a lawful permanent resident in 2017.
Nuno Loureiro first entered the USA around 2005 for a two-year postdoctoral position at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. He returned to Europe in 2007, then later moved back to the United States permanently in 2016 to join the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
- U.S. News & World Report (for graduate programs) ranks Princeton University at #3 in Physics (tied with other top universities like Caltech, Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley).
- In contrast, a 2019 ranking placed Brown University's physics program at #35. The Department of Physics is located in Barus and Holley, a seven story building constructed in 1965 that contains laboratories, classrooms, lecture rooms, offices, and a rooftop observatory.
Nuno Filipe Gomes Loureiro ( (c. 1977 – 16 December 2025) age 48 was a Portuguese plasma physicist. He was the Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center from 2024 until his murder in 2025.
In physics, MIT is generally rated higher than Princeton University in most major national and global rankings, particularly at the graduate level.
Loureiro did not shine as a student like his killer, yet did much better in life than the star, Valente, which became impossible for the star to accept.
On December 18, authorities announced that they were investigating a link between Loureiro's murder and the shooting at Brown University three days prior that killed two and injured nine.
Authorities confirmed the link later that day at a press conference announcing the suicide of the lone suspect in the Brown University shooting, Cláudio Manuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese national. Valente attended the Instituto Superior Técnico with Loureiro from 1995 to 2000, graduating first in his class, ahead of Loureiro. He entered the United States through a green card lottery, which President Trump suspended in the wake of the shooting.
The shooter shouted something that nobody has yet identified, but several thought it could have been some slur about Jews being the climate tends to be raining bullets at Jewish people on the first day of Chanukah this year. That could be the case; Portugal has a history of Jews living there and being forced to leave or convert to Christianity. " During the Brown University shooting, some witnesses reported that the gunman "howled a barking noise" or yelled something "indiscernible" before opening fire, but the exact words or their meaning could not be identified by most sources. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha stated that any shouting did not provide an indication of motive. "
Update: 12/20/25, ;7am: and 12/23/25 6:42am being a genealogist of sorts, I'm into DNA as well.
- The surname "Loureiro" has 16 participants listed within the larger Portugal DNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA. I had found several people with this surname in the wine business, etc, well known name in Portugal.
- At first, Loureiro was reported to come from an area which was in Galaicia, Portugal, called Lodomeria. Lodomeria is a part of Galicia, Poland. Now it's reported to be Viseu, in Portugal's Centro Region, isn't immediately next to Galicia (in Spain), but it's in northern/central Portugal, relatively accessible to the Spanish border, with historical ties and routes connecting it towards the Kingdom of Galicia, though it's several hours' drive (around 4 hours) from the broader Galicia region. Possibly Loureiro didn't want this to be known.
- Unknown to me, but important in this murder is this information: Galicia is not another name for Spain; it's a distinct, historic region and an autonomous community in the northwest of Spain, known for its unique Celtic culture, language (Galician), and traditions, differing from the broader Spanish national identity. Think of it like Texas within the USA – a part, but with its own character.
Spain's Galicia: Hot springs and Jewish heritage
In the province of northwestern Spain famous for its thermal waters, majestic scenery, wines and Catholic pilgrimage routes, there are also fascinating traces of a thriving Jewish community before the expulsion of 1492.- The professor was said to had come from Galicia in Portugal. Yes, the region of Galicia (in modern Spain) and the area that became Portugal were home to vibrant, ancient Jewish communities long before 1492, playing crucial roles in economy and culture, with many Jews fleeing Spain for Portugal after the 1492 expulsion, only to face their own expulsion/forced conversion in Portugal in 1496, scattering them across the globe. Both regions had deep Jewish roots, but the expulsion from Spain in 1492 triggered a major shift, with Portugal becoming a temporary haven before its own tragic decree in 1496, forcing Jews to convert or flee, ending centuries of flourishing life there.
- Yes, Jewish people have a rich, historical presence in the Galicia region of Spain, with ancient Judearías (Jewish Quarters) in towns like Ribadavia, Tui, and Monforte de Lemos showing medieval synagogues and cultural traces, and a modern, small, but growing community, the Bnei Israel of Galicia, is actively reviving Jewish life there today, distinct from the large historical Jewish populations of Eastern European Galicia. Ancient Roots: Jewish communities thrived in Galicia, Spain, from as early as the 4th century, flourishing in medieval towns.Economic Hubs: Jewish communities were central to the region's economy, particularly in wine trade (like in Ribadavia) and crafts, as seen in Monforte de Lemos.Expulsions & Legacy: The expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 significantly impacted these communities, but their legacy remains in historical sites like the Jewish Quarters (Judearías).Modern Revival: Today, organizations like "A Comunidade Xudía Beni Israel de Galiza" are working to restore and maintain Jewish traditions in Spanish Galicia. Distinction from Eastern European Galicia:Confusion with "Galician Jews": The term "Galician Jews" often refers to the large, distinct group of Ashkenazi Jews from the historical region of Galicia in Eastern Europe (now Poland/Ukraine).
- So we have this group, who could also be Jewish as well as the Polish Galicians (Galitzianers).
- Origin of Surname: The name "Loureiro" is of Portuguese and Galician origin, a topographic name for someone who lived by a laurel tree. Yes, historically, Galicia (now in Poland & Ukraine) had a massive, thriving Jewish population (Galician Jews or Galitzianers) who developed a unique culture, but most perished in the Holocaust, though descendants and small modern communities exist, and genealogical research thrives. (so it's possible that Loureiro's dna test showed that he had Jewish roots, possibly going back to the Spanish Inquisition of 1492 and even earlier. )
- Update: 9:00am Galician Jews (or Galitzianers) were a significant Ashkenazi Jewish subgroup from the historical region of Galicia (now in Poland and Ukraine), known for their vibrant Yiddish culture, deep religious observance (especially Hasidism), distinctive cuisine (like sweet gefilte fish), and contributions to American Jewish life before the Holocaust devastated the community. They thrived under Austrian rule but faced severe persecution, leading to mass emigration and destruction during WWII, leaving behind rich, though often forgotten, cultural heritage and historic cemeteries. (so the MIT professor may have had later Jewish roots than I had expected, like1939, etc.)
- Motive: According to my research, Valente had been very jealous of Loureiro. Valente had only gone to Brown U., while Loureiro attended Princeton and then MIT, both higher universities in their field of Physics. Also, Loureiro must have been Jewish, coming from a part of Portugal known as a Jewish center. He was awakened to anti-Semitism going on and added that in his mind to hate Loureiro.
- Testing Companies: While many companies offer autosomal DNA tests (like Ancestry), specialized Y-DNA tests (such as 37 markers, 111 markers, or the Big Y test) are primarily available through FamilyTreeDNA.
Resource:
https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/5608829*****
https://encyclopedia.yivo.org/article/1763
