About me
Education
2020 Italian Habilitation as full professor in Experimental Physics of Matter (FIS 02/B1)
2017 Habilitation in Applied Physics from TU Graz
2017 Italian Habilitation as associate professor in Industrial Chemistry (CHIM 03/C2) Experimental Physics of Matter (FIS 02/B1) Chemical Fundaments of Technologies (CHIM 03/B2)
2010 PhD in Chemical Science, University of Bari, Italy
2006 Master in Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Bari, Italy
Academic Experience
2024 Full Professor at the Department of Physics, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy
2018 Associate Professor, Graz University of Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics
2013 Assistant Professor, Graz University of Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics
2010 Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of technology (M.I.T.), Department of Chemical Engineering
2010 Postdoctoral Associate Italian National Research Council (CNR) Section Inorganic Methodologies and Plasmas (IMIP)
Visiting studies experiences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) September 2008- March 2009 Visiting Student in Prof. Karen K. Gleason’s research group, Chemical Engineering department.
Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris (ENSPC - France) February -June 2006 Visiting Student in Dr. Willy Morscheidt and Prof. Farzaneh Arefi-Khonsari’s research group.
Teaching
Teaching Certificate Program from MIT
For Bachelor Physics Curriculum @ TuGraz
Molecular and Solid State Physics Exercises
X-ray diffraction Laboratory
For Master Physics Curriculum
Surface Polymerization Laboratory
Surface and Thin Films Physics
Thin Film Science and Technology
For Master Curriculum in Material Science
Optoelectronics and Nanotechnologies
Awards & Honors
ERC Proof of Concept Grant 2023
AVS Shop Note Price 2019
Startup Idea award - 2018
ERC Starting Grant - 2016
IAAM Scientist Medal - 2016
Scholarship for the Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting 2015
Scholarship to Annual PhD seminar, Procter & Gamble, R&D section 2011
Excellence PhD award from Puglia region 2008
European Scholarship for Exchange Students 2006
Extra Activities
2x Speaker at TEDx events (TEDxGraz in 2016 and TEDxVienna in 2022)
Leader of the Field of Expertise Advanced Material Science
Guest editor for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Letters and Thin Solid Films, Frontiers in Biotechnologies
International Advisory Board for the Journal of Applied Biomaterials and Functional Materials
Austrian representative of the THIN FILM Division in the International Union for Vacuum Science, Technique and Applications (IUVSTA) from 2016
Reviewer for several journals and funding agencies
Invited and contributed speaker for several international conferences
(Co)-organizer of several symposia in international conferences