Education

2009-2013: PhD in "Environemnatl Engineering" (University of Trento, Italy). "Deep ventilation in Lake Baikal: a simplified model for a complex natural phenomenon"

Sep--Nov 2011: Guest Ph.D. Student, EAWAG, Department of surface waters - Research and Management, Kastanienbaum - Luzern (Switzerland).

2006-2009: MSc in "Environmental Engineering" (University of Trento, Italy). "Modellazione della propagazione di onde di piena lungo il fiume Tagliamento (Flood wave propagation in the Tagliamento river)"

2003-2006: BSc in "Environmental Engineering" (University of Trento, Italy). "Studio sulle dinamiche ambientali ed ecologiche degli incendi forestali in Portogallo (On the ecological dynamics of forest fires in Portugal)"

2005-2006: Socrates-Erasmus Exchange Programme (Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Portugal).

Academic career and teaching activities

2024-now: Associate Professor (University of Trento)

2021-2024: Assistant Professor (University of Trento)

2020-2021: Scientist (Physics of Aquatic Systems Laboratory -
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland). "Platform LéXPLORE"

2019-2020: Post-doc fellow (Free University of Bolzano). "SediPlan-r: Sediment budgeting and planning for rivers in South-Tyrol"

2018-2019: Technical Officer (Servizio Bacini montani, Autonomous Province of Trento). “Life FRANCA: Flood Risk Anticipation and Communication in the Alps”, “HyMoCARES: HydroMorphological assessment and management at basin scale for the Conservation of Alpine Rivers and related Ecosystem Services”

2016-2018: Post-doc fellow (Utrecht University, The Netherlands). "Mixing dynamics in Lake Garda"

August 2018: Invited Scholar (U.S Geological Survey - Oregon Water Science Center, Portland, OR, USA).

2016: Technical Officer (Agenzia Provinciale per la Protezione dell'Ambiente, Autonomous Province of Trento).

2013-2016: Post-doc fellow (University of Trento, Italy). "Hydrological modeling and hydro-climatic uncertainty assessment at river basin scale"

Teaching assistant for the following courses at the University of Trento:

  • "Environmental Fluid Mechanics" (A.Y.  2020/2021)
  • "Meccanica dei Fluidi" (A.Y. 2016/2017 – 2019/2020)
  • "A short course on hydrological modeling" (A.Y. 2014/2015, organized within the European project GlobAqua http://www.globaqua-project.eu/)
  • "Idrodinamica" (A.Y. 2012/2013 - A.Y. 2015/2016, A.Y. 2020/2021)
  • "Seminario di Programmazione per Ingegneri Ambientali" (A.Y. 2010/2011)
Research interests

Physical limnology

Thermal dynamics of water bodies

Small-scale turbulence in stratified flows

Environmental fluid mechanics

Surface hydrology

Research work

My main research interest covers the areas of Physical Limnology, Environmental Fluid Mechanics, and Surface Hydrology. My research approach combines the use of modeling, data analysis, and experimental observations to investigate physical phenomena occurring in aquatic systems. In particular, my research activity is oriented towards developing models “as simple as possible but not simpler” and at the same time based on solid physical grounds. The aim is to set up effective analysis tools to gain in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of interest through supporting the interpretation of available data. In my experience I handled different types of data freely available, provided by others, or personally acquired. In this last regard, my research activity includes a consistent part of field work, ranging from the operational use of instruments for physical and water quality measurements in lakes and rivers (turbulence microprofiler, ADCP, thermistor chains, turbidimeters) to the organization and management of field campaigns. My experimental research interest is particularly concerned with the observation of small-scale turbulence and mixing in stratified natural waters.

Memberships in societies and scientific committees
  • GLTC (Global Lake Temperature Collaboration)
  • GLEON (Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network)
  • GII (Gruppo Italiano di Idraulica) and EGU (European Geosciences Union)
  • AGU (American Geophysical Union)
  • ASLO (Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography)
  • AIOL (Associazione Italiana Oceanologia e Limnologia)
Awards and honours
  • 2018: Premio Torricelli, best young Italian scientist in the field of hydraulic engineering (assigned by GII - Gruppo Italiano di Idraulica).
  • 2016: 1st SIL Student Competition, award for the best published article in Limnology appearing as part of a recent Ph.D. thesis in Italy (national stage).
  • 2012: ASLO 2012 Student Travel Award, 2012 ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting: Voyages of Discovery, Otsu (Japan).
  • 2009: 1st Premio Ambiente - Euregio, Fabrizio Alberti, Silvia Manelli and Sebastiano Piccolroaz, Virtuosismi al San Bartolameo! (3rd place).
Conferences and lectures
  • Convener for "Water temperature in a changing climate: processes, implications, and managing strategies", 5th IAHR Europe Congress, Trento (Italy), 12 -14 June 2018
  • Convener for "Temperature and circulation dynamics in lakes and rivers", XXXIII Congress of the International Society of Limnology (SIL2016), Torino (Italy), 31 July-5 August 2016
  • Member of the Organizing Committee of the "17th international workshop on Physical Processes in Natural Waters (PPNW)" Webpage: http://events.unitn.it/en/ppnw2014