Introducing... André Victor Doherty Luduvice
Andre in action, presenting a research paper at a conference
Hailing from Brazil, Andre first moved to the States in 2014 after being accepted to the Economics PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He was even able to play for Penn's club water polo team while finishing his PhD. After completing his program, he got a job as a Research Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and joined our team in 2021. He does some pretty important work for the Federal Reserve - both personally and professionally. "I love my research and get to work on really cool projects with amazing people I learn from every day. One of my favorites studies a decade of minimum wage increases in Brazil and how they affected firms' life cycles and the overall productivity of the economy. We have really interesting data and are developing a mathematical model to better understand the costs and benefits of this type of policy, with lessons that could apply to other countries too."
Andre's great-grandfather standing on a water polo goal (left);
his grandfather and great-uncle with their Navy team (top right, circled),
and his grandfather again (bottom right, circled)
Even though Andre had some strong familial roots in water polo, it took quite a bit of drama to get him to officially join the sport. "I started playing water polo at 14 in Brasília, my hometown in Brazil. I was a competitive swimmer until an unfortunate accident. I stage-dived into the crowd at a punk rock concert, nobody caught me, and I broke my collarbone and left arm! After six months away from swimming, I was kind of slow and decided to make a change. My family has water polo roots, so it seemed like a natural choice. My grandfather and great-uncle played in the Navy, my great-grandfather rowed and played water polo, and my uncle played too. I joined a club coached by one of my uncle's former teammates. Fell in love with the sport instantly and never looked back!"
"He's always a friendly face and warm hug outside of the pool - inside the pool he is a stealthy force to be reckoned with, with a spicy skip shot"
"I love Andre's positive attitude and welcoming demeanor. I feel like he is willing to play with anyone regardless of polo level"
On the left, a rare occasion when he manages to score a goal against the great Kyle Tepe at the Cinnamon Lake Friendly! On the right, a pass that's sure to be equal parts precise and magical is coming!
Andre's playing experience really shows in the pool. Even though he has been playing in the States for over a decade - he still brings some Brazilian intensity to practices and games. "I'd say water polo in Brazil was a bit more physical, especially at center, at least back when I played there and the rules were different. Grappling and grabbing were more common, and referees called fewer fouls. Brazil also has a strong martial arts tradition, and some players borrow techniques from jiu-jitsu."
(Editor's note - this information was unsurprising to find out after playing with Andre)
"Andre is well loved, so much that he had an entire cheer squad at the tournament one year. They had signs and everything"
With the Brazilian cheering squad and the team at the Lake Erie Classic!
Even though concerts took him away from swimming - he still spends a good amount of his free time traveling for fun and for concerts. His favorite is still a concert he went to in 2010. "For sure SWU Festival... in a city in the Brazilian countryside called Itu. It brought Rage Against the Machine to Brazil for the first time after they reunited following the Audioslave era. I was in college, and a group of students rented a bus from my university. We stopped in São Paulo for the Rush concert on Friday, then camped at the festival for three days. The lineup included Incubus, Linkin Park, Kings of Leon, Avenged Sevenfold (with Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater on drums!), Joss Stone, Dave Matthews Band, Queens of the Stone Age, and Brazilian legends like Os Mutantes and Los Hermanos. Epic."
His vocational and avocational interests have pulled him all around the globe - but even if he had his choice of where to live - family has a real strong pull. When asked where besides Brazil or the U.S. he would like to live - this was his response: "That's the toughest question of all! I love both Brazil and the U.S., but I'd definitely say Spain! My sister lives in Madrid, where she's a journalist, and I love the Spanish lifestyle, with late dinners, people out on the streets all the time, and, of course, tapas and vermouth! Still, retirement in Brazil by the beach would be very hard to beat!"
Some good memories in Cleveland! With his sister during her visit; Cleveland bros at the King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard concert marathon in New York; colleague-friends from the Cleveland Fed; and water polo teammates at a wedding.
Luckily for the team, Andre has found a home here in Cleveland. He loves his work and the building he works in. He recommends a visit to the Federal Reserve - they even have a family-friendly interactive museum. He also found an authentic Brazilian restaurant locally. "When I moved to Cleveland, I'd already been in the U.S. for six years, but going for the first time to Batuqui (with locations in Larchmere and Chagrin Falls) made me realize what an immigrant from another country might feel when finding a taste of home abroad. In some way, it made me feel more a part of the incredible melting pot of U.S. 's cuisine and culture, something I find truly special about this country."
He also has had some great memories with teammates and friends - some notable ones at the Quarry Scramble. "On the first camping night, I barely slept because of loud dubstep blasting from cars around our campsite. The next day, a teammate gave me earplugs, and I slept like a baby after an amazing day of water polo, sunshine, beers, nature, and partying. The following morning, I woke up to Danielle already firing up the grill, with fresh coffee and breakfast for everyone. Unbeatable."
"We have some fond memories of grilling and eating with Andre at Cinnamon Lake Friendly. Particularly when Andre made pequenas - best steak ever!"
"Best air drummer of every room he walks into"
"It's crazy someone so handsome can be so kind"
With his partner Gabi at her graduation from the University of Chicago, where she earned her master's degree earlier this year!
Congrats Andre! We are lucky you landed here with us.
