Chiara Valzolgher is a Research Fellow at the Interdepartmental Center for Mind and Brain Sciences (CIMEC) of the University of Trento , Italy. Her research focuses on spatial hearing , metacognition , and multisensory perception , particularly in contexts involving hearing loss and age-related auditory decline . She employs virtual reality and motor strategies to investigate perceptual adaptation and cognitive resource allocation during auditory tasks. Education: 2021: Doctorate in Cognitive Sciences (cum laude), University of Trento & Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 2016: Master's in Psychology (110/110 cum laude), University of Trento 2014: Bachelor's in Psychological Sciences and Techniques (108/110), University of Milan-Bicocca Her recent work explores how active listening and spontaneous behaviors (e.g., head movements, postural adjustments) enhance auditory spatial confidence and reduce perceived listening effort . She also investigates the impact of face masks on sign language metacognition and develops VR-based auditory training for cochlear implant users. Collaborations include researchers like Francesco Pavani , Elena Gessa , and Elena Giovanelli . Her publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches combining cognitive psychology , neuroscience , and virtual reality to address communication barriers in healthcare and educational settings. Key methodologies include behavioral experiments , metacognitive evaluations , and computational modeling of sensory integration.
Silvia Sacchetti is a Full Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Research at the University of Trento, Italy, and holds an adjunct role in the Department of Public Leadership and Social Enterprise at The Open University, UK. She specializes in community development, social and solidarity economy (SSE), cultural governance, and inclusive economic policies. Her research explores organizational governance in social enterprises, music education networks, and the interplay between cultural production and local development. Education: PhD in Commerce (University of Birmingham, UK, 2004, part-time) MSc in Business Research (University of Birmingham, UK, 1998, full-time) Laurea in Political Science (University of Bologna, Italy, 1997) Research Focus: Her work interrogates governance models in cultural and social enterprises, emphasizing cooperative frameworks for fostering inclusivity and sustainability. Key themes include music schools’ role in community resilience, stakeholder engagement in SSE, and the socio-economic impacts of cultural policymaking. She has secured grants such as €50,000 from Fondazione Caritro (2020) and a Leverhulme Research Grant (£10,000) for studies on work-integration enterprises. Publications: Her recent work spans SSE’s contribution to economic growth, music education networks in Trentino, and governance theories linking transaction costs to self-actualization. Over 15 years, she has presented at major conferences like EURAM, IIPPE, and EMES, addressing topics such as biosphere reserves governance and lean production in social enterprises. Awards/Grants: Multiple competitive grants include the Leverhulme Research Grant (2015) and Fondazione Caritro funding (2020). She has also led collaborative projects with organizations like the Trentino Brass Band Federation. Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary initiatives like the CEFF system (Italy) and Scotland’s social enterprise networks. Her work emphasizes participatory methodologies and deliberative governance structures.
Dr. Hamida Aburounia is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Political Sciences, University of Tripoli, specializing in Economics with a focus on social-cultural sustainability. She earned her PhD from the University of Salford (UK) and holds advanced degrees from the University of Tripoli and its Academy of Economic and Political Sciences. Research Interests: Economics, Sustainable Development, Gender Studies, Political Science, Econometrics, and Social Housing. Academic Roles: Associate Professor (2016–present), Assistant Professor (2012–2016), Lecturer (2007–2012), and Teaching Assistant (1995–1998). Consultancy: Collaborated with UNDP, UNWOMEN, USAID, and the African Union on gender equality, migration, and constitutional development. Her publications include 12 working papers, 10 local journal articles, and a book, with recurring themes in women's migration, sustainable development, and knowledge economy strategies. She has contributed to constitutional drafting and participated in international conferences addressing gender, governance, and human development.
Natalia Magnani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Research at the University of Trento, Italy. Her academic career spans over a decade, with roles including fixed-term Assistant Professor in Sociology of the Environment and Territory. PhD in Sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2007) MA in International Studies (2002) and Laurea in Sociology (2001) from the University of Trento Her research focuses on Environmental Sociology , Energy Transition , and Sustainable Development , with particular emphasis on community-based renewable energy and ecological conflicts. She has led and participated in numerous national and international projects, including the ERA-NET SusFood2 initiative on sustainable food practices. Her scholarly output highlights trends in energy policy , social innovation , and urban/rural dynamics . She has presented her work at major European conferences, including the European Sociological Association and European Society for Rural Sociology. Post-Doc Research Fellowship (2009-2010), full scholarships, and tuition waivers Membership in the European Sociological Association (ESA) and editorial boards Magnani has contributed to academic discourse through conference papers, teaching, and peer-review activities for journals like Energy Policy and Journal of Rural Studies .
Sacha Anthony BERARDO is a Contract Lecturer at the University of Salerno, affiliated with the Department of Legal Sciences (School of Law), Department of Cultural Heritage Sciences/DISPAC, and Department of Economics and Statistics/DISES. He is based at the Fisciano Campus, Building D, Room 010, and can be contacted at sberardo@unisa.it . His academic work spans interdisciplinary domains within language studies. His research interests focus on English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) , with particular attention to syllabus design , the use of authentic materials in language teaching , and the development of World Englishes , especially Canadian and Indian varieties. His work explores how language teaching can reflect real-world usage and how local contexts shape linguistic evolution. The recent publications highlight a consistent thread in applied linguistics and pedagogical innovation. His research bridges theoretical insights with classroom practice, emphasizing meaningful language exposure and curriculum coherence. Themes across his work include language standardization, learner motivation, and the impact of sociocultural factors on language variation. He has collaborated with the Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli (now Università della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli) and the University of Basilicata, reflecting a network of academic engagement across southern Italy. His ORCID (0000-0001-9376-6416) and profiles on ResearchGate and Academia.edu confirm his active scholarly presence. There is no public information indicating any scientific awards, grants, or supervised students. His role as a contract lecturer suggests a teaching-focused position without permanent faculty status.
Angela Cresta is an Associate Professor at the Department of Law, Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods (DEMM) at the University of Sannio. Her work focuses on Economic and Political Geography, with a strong emphasis on urban planning , territorial systems , and regional development . She has contributed extensively to discussions on smart cities, tourism geography, and sustainable policy frameworks. Her research explores: Integration of technology in urban development for sustainability Transformation of cities like Benevento and Castellammare di Stabia Role of place-based strategies in addressing marginality Notable projects include the European FP7-ENERGY-2012-SMARTCITIES initiative on urban resource management and analyses of Campania's agrifood systems. While her recent 2024 curatorship on Internal Areas highlights participatory approaches, her 2015 Smart City paper discusses rethinking urban models through tech-driven equity. Scientific contributions span from climate adaptation strategies to rural workforce studies, though no explicit awards are documented. Her collaborations with scholars like Ilaria Greco and Filippo Bencardino underscore interdisciplinary research in regional policy and sustainable development.
Andrea Billi is a Professor at the Department of Legal and Economic Studies , Sapienza University of Rome, with a focus on political economy, regional development, and cultural economics. He holds a PhD in Economics from Sapienza (2001) and was a Visiting Research Fellow at Duke University (1998-1999). Education : PhD in Economics (2001), Laurea in Political Sciences (1994) Key Roles : Director of Consorzio Sapienza Innovazione (2019-); Senior Policy Analyst at OECD (2014-2017); Coordinator of international research centers like CIDEM (2005-2014) His research spans territorial development , social innovation , and energy transition , with recent publications addressing climate resilience, organic waste sustainability, and inclusive urban environments. Articles highlight interdisciplinary approaches combining economics, policy analysis, and environmental science. Scientific Awards : Expert for the World Bank's Annual Development Medals Additional Responsibilities : Founder of RoME (Rome Museum Exhibition), where he coordinates international cultural initiatives; active in EU-funded projects like ACTORS, WASAMED, and NENA.
Emma Galli is a Full Professor at the Department of Social and Economic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome. Her research focuses on public economics, environmental economics, and political economy, with particular emphasis on transparency, corruption, fiscal policy, and gender economics. Academic Rank: Professor Institution: Sapienza University of Rome Department: Social and Economic Sciences Her work analyzes how governance structures, media scrutiny, and institutional transparency impact policy outcomes. Recent publications explore topics like green party influence on waste management, gender disparities in credit access, and spatial determinants of corruption. Key Research Areas: Transparency, Corruption, Fiscal Policy, Environmental Economics, Gender Studies Scientific Awards: Award for Excellence in Environmental Economics (2023) Best Paper Award in Applied Economics (2022) CESifo Distinguished Research Fellow (2018) Palgrave Macmillan Book Series Contribution Award (2017) Emma Galli advises students in economics and public policy, with publications spanning journals like the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Applied Economics, and Kyklos. Her empirical studies focus on Italian municipalities and SME financing challenges.
Luca Ferrari is an Associate Professor in Didactics and Special Pedagogy at the Department of Education Studies 'Giovanni Maria Bertin', University of Bologna. His research focuses on open education policies, eLearning design, inclusion through digital technologies, and AI in education. He leads the 'AI and Education' unit at ALMA HUMAN AI and coordinates the Erasmus+ project INES (2021–2024), addressing drug abuse prevention in secondary schools. He also co-developed the TOX-OER project (2015–2017), creating toxicology OERs in multiple languages. His EU-funded projects include work in El Salvador on inclusive education and teacher training. Education: PhD in Pedagogical Sciences. Research interests include digital pedagogy, MOOCs, and educational technology integration. He has led initiatives such as the 'Cooperative Digital Education' training course (coode.it) and contributed to the MUSE project improving Latin American university inclusion. His teaching involves school design and evaluation, with integrated exam procedures requiring student documentation submission. He actively participates in interdisciplinary collaborations, such as the FaBiT-EDU partnership for the TOX-OER MOOC platform. His work bridges educational innovation with practical implementation, emphasizing equity and sustainability in digital education strategies.
Filippo Menga is Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Bergamo, Italy, with a strong international academic presence, including a current role as Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading, UK. He teaches in the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures, offering graduate courses on environment, tourism, and intercultural geography. Since 2024, he has served as Editor-in-Chief of the leading journal Political Geography . University: University of Bergamo Department: Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures Academic Rank: Associate Professor Email: filippo.menga@unibg.it His research lies at the intersection of geography, political ecology, and hydropolitics, focusing on transboundary water conflicts, the geopolitics of dams, and the socio-environmental impacts of water infrastructure. He has conducted extensive work on Central Asia and South Asia, particularly India-Bangladesh and Indus Basin dynamics. Recently, his work has expanded to include the political ecology of artificial intelligence and the materiality of water. The thematic trends in his recent publications (2025) emphasize the urgent global water crisis, the limitations of international water law, the role of AI in urban metabolism, and the need for pluralistic understandings of water’s agency. His work bridges theoretical depth with policy relevance, addressing climate change, environmental justice, and governance failures. Scientific Leadership and Editorial Role: Editor-in-Chief, Political Geography (2024–present) Funded Research Projects: Strengthening Higher Education in the Water Sector for Climate Resilience and Security in Central Asia (Erasmus+, Scientific Director, 2023–2026) Water Decision Making tools for informed hydro politics in Italy (Horizon Europe CTC, Scientific Director, 2023–2025) He advises graduate students and contributes to public discourse through interviews and commentary in media outlets such as Renewable Matter. He is involved in academic mentorship and public engagement on water issues, with no indication of retirement or part-time status. Laboratories and Research Teams: While specific lab names are not mentioned, Menga leads research initiatives under Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe, suggesting leadership in collaborative, interdisciplinary research teams focused on water governance, climate resilience, and policy innovation. His affiliations with the University of Bergamo and University of Reading indicate participation in broader research networks in political geography and environmental studies.
Angelo Riviezzo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Law, Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods (DEMM) at the University of Sannio (UNISANNIO) in Italy. His academic position is specifically in the field of Business Economics and Management (SECS-P/08). He maintains an active research profile with numerous publications spanning from 2008 to 2023, demonstrating his ongoing contribution to academic scholarship. Riviezzo's research interests primarily focus on entrepreneurship, business economics, and management. His work particularly emphasizes entrepreneurial orientation in universities, strategic management of SMEs, acquisitions in knowledge-intensive industries, and tourism management. His publications reveal a strong interest in the practical application of entrepreneurial principles in both academic and business contexts, with a regional focus on Campania, Italy. His recent scholarly output shows a clear trend toward cross-cultural and international comparative studies, particularly examining entrepreneurial competence across different national contexts. He has also made significant contributions to understanding university-community relationships and the impact of academic institutions on local quality of life. His methodological approaches often involve importance-performance analysis, critical incident techniques, and multi-method assessment frameworks. Riviezzo has established strong collaborative relationships with researchers including Maria Rosaria Napolitano, Antonella Garofano, and other colleagues, frequently co-authoring publications across multiple years. His work appears in various academic formats including journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, and monographs.
Veronica Arioli is a Research Fellow at the University of Bergamo, specializing in product-service systems (PSS) and circular economy. She collaborates with local companies on industrial projects and teaches courses in Industrial Production Management for Computer Engineering and Mechanics programs, as well as Healthcare Operations for the Master's in Engineering and Management for Health. Her education includes a Master’s degree in Engineering and Management for Health (2021) from the University of Bergamo, with a thesis on System Dynamics simulation of the diffusion of COVID-19 . Research interests focus on sustainable PSS development, digital servitization, and lifecycle management in manufacturing. She employs methodologies like System Dynamics and Agent-Based Modelling to analyze economic and environmental impacts. Advising and grants involve tutoring students since 2022, though specific grant details are not provided. She is affiliated with the CELS laboratory at the University of Bergamo, located at Viale G. Marconi 5, Dalmine (BG), Italy. CELS (Center for Excellence in Logistics and Services) is highlighted in the footer, suggesting involvement in logistics, services, and manufacturing innovation initiatives.
Federica Acerbi is a Core Faculty member and Junior Assistant Professor in the Manufacturing Group at the School of Management, Politecnico di Milano. Her research focuses on sustainable operations management, circular economy, and digital transformation in manufacturing. She actively contributes to European and national research projects, industrial consultancy, and academic teaching. Federica’s work bridges academic theory with industrial practice, emphasizing data-driven approaches and Industry 4.0 technologies to enhance sustainability and circularity. Education: PhD in Manufacturing Management (details not specified). Teaching Roles: Teaching assistant and tutor for master courses including 'Advanced and Sustainable Manufacturing' and 'Operations Management'. Professional Activities: Co-leader of the IFIP WG 5. special interest group on Eco-Efficiency and Industrial Circular Economy. Member of the local committee for the ELEC2019 conference. Research Interests: Her work addresses challenges in circular manufacturing frameworks, digital readiness assessment (e.g., DREAMY framework), and the twin transition of industries (digital and circular). She explores low-cost digital technologies for SMEs, skills development for Industry 4.0, and sustainability in sectors like textiles, cosmetics, and batteries. Publications: Over 30+ articles (2017–2025) focus on circular economy implementation, digital tools for manufacturing, and workforce skills. Key themes include technology roadmapping, data-driven circularity, and policy-relevant frameworks. Grants & Awards: None explicitly listed in the text. Federica’s contributions are primarily research and project-based, with involvement in multiple funded initiatives. Labs & Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on projects like the HUBCAP platform quality assurance and the DREAMY framework development. Engages in partnerships with industries for case studies and tool implementation.
Jacopo Soldani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pisa, Italy. He holds Italian National Habilitation as Associate Professor in Computer Science (SSD: 01/B1) and Computer Engineering (SSD: 09/H1) from 2021-2030. His roles include editorial board membership for top journals and organizing international conferences/workshops in software engineering. Education: PhD (2017), MSc (2013), and BSc (2011) in Computer Science from University of Pisa. Research focuses on service-based software engineering, cloud-native applications, microservices architecture, and systematic literature reviews. Key interests include security smells, failure analysis, and energy-efficient deployment strategies. His work addresses challenges in cloud-IoT integration, failure root cause analysis, and explainable AI in systems. Recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize security in microservices, failure resilience, and sustainable software design. Over 140+ publications in venues like ACM Computing Surveys, IEEE Transactions, and ESOCC/ICSOC conferences. Labs/Teams: Leads research on FREEDA (failure-resilient deployment) and NEST (energy observability). Active in open-source tool development (e.g., μTOSCA toolchain, KubeHound). Collaborates with industry on TOSCA orchestration and edge computing.
Isabella Maria Lami is a Full Professor at the Interuniversity Department of Territorial Sciences, Planning and Policies (DIST) , Polytechnic University of Turin , where she plays a key role in research, teaching, and institutional leadership. She is a member of the Board of Directors, the Student Contribution and Planning Commission (STUDI), the Student Team Commission, the Employers' Delegation, and the Future Urban Legacy Lab (FULL) Interdepartmental Center. She has been consistently involved in the Urban and Regional Development Doctoral College for over a decade, supervising PhD research and teaching advanced courses such as Problem Structuring Methods for facing urban uncertainty . Her educational background is not explicitly detailed in the provided texts, but her academic leadership and research output suggest a strong foundation in urban planning, evaluation, and decision sciences. Her research interests are deeply interdisciplinary, focusing on multi-criteria analysis , problem structuring methods (PSMs) , decision-making processes , and the evaluation of urban plans and projects . She integrates behavioral economics, operations research, and sustainability sciences to address complex urban challenges. Her work is closely aligned with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities , particularly through the development of indicators, serious games for education, and frameworks for urban regeneration. She emphasizes the integration of technical, value-based, and relational perspectives in planning. Her recent publications (2022–2025) reflect a strong trend toward urban sustainability , adaptive reuse of buildings , value creation in architecture , and innovative teaching methods such as serious games. She frequently collaborates with researchers like Elena Todella, Beatrice Mecca, and Francesca Abastante, publishing in high-impact journals such as European Journal of Operational Research , Sustainability , and Land , as well as in book chapters for Palgrave and Springer. Among her scientific recognitions is the Open Badge for Learning to Teach with Innovative Teaching Project (L2T_ITP) , highlighting her commitment to pedagogical innovation. She has also led competitive research projects such as LOTUS (2019–2022) and the earlier URBAX2 Erasmus+ project (2002–2004), demonstrating sustained funding success. In terms of teaching and advising , she supervises PhD students including Beatrice Mecca (thesis: Fostering value creation in architecture ) and Federica Rotondo (thesis: Reinterpreting Urban Transitions ). She teaches in both doctoral and master’s programs, including Economic Evaluation of Projects and Architecture and Urban Economics , across disciplines such as Architecture, Urban Planning, and Aerospace Engineering. She also led a course on promoting campus sustainability through serious games. She is a core member of the Future Urban Legacy Lab (FULL) , an interdepartmental research center dedicated to advancing sustainable urban transitions through integrated, multi-methodological approaches. Her work emphasizes collaborative, practice-oriented, and ethically grounded planning methodologies for resilient and inclusive cities.
