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Ilaria Zardo, a "German Italian", awarded in Rome
On September 11, 2015, a moving award ceremony was held at the Lepetit Cultural Center for a talented physics researcher who has made a name for herself in three European countries.
Professor Ilaria Zardo received from Councillor Cecilia Fannunza, on behalf of the Capitoline Assembly, the prestigious "Giulio Cesare" medal in recognition of her research and study work and for her services to the name of the city of Rome. The City Councilor Alessandro Rosi was also present, representing the President of the Fifth Municipality, Mr. Palmieri.
The ceremony was attended by a large audience that enthusiastically accepted the invitation of the Lepetit Cultural Center. Its president, Giorgio Grillo, explained the decision to award the coveted prize in a suburb of the Fifth Municipality and not in Campidoglio, in agreement with the political party. It was almost as if he was retracing the steps of a path of study that began in the Fifth Municipality, after passing demanding exams in Europe with flying colors, and returning to a neighborhood on the outskirts of Rome rich in young talent that knows how to compete on a larger scale.
The ceremony was preceded by an interview of the director of Abitare A, Vincenzo Luciani, with the young professor, who was very excited and gave prompt, sharp and lively answers. Ilaria Zardo was accompanied by her German husband and in-laws, as well as by her parents living in Villa De Sanctis, who were excitedly and proudly taking care of their two grandchildren in tow (a restless three-year-old boy and a baby girl only a few months old in a stroller).
Luciani skillfully alternated questions about the young professor's personal life with those on the subjects that have earned Ilaria Zardo important academic honors outside Italy.
Zardo recalled the importance of her early studies at La Sapienza University, which were fundamental to the rest of her life. From June 2007 to September 2010, in collaboration with the University of Rome and the Technical University of Munich, she completed her PhD on "Growth and Raman spectroscopy studies of semiconductor nanowires not catalyzed by gold" and was awarded "Summa cum laude," for which she also received the "Best Thesis Discussion" award at the University of Rome.
When asked by Luciani, Ilaria Zardo also gave an overview of her complex studies. In the process, she met the man of her life, a German national, whom she married.
From 2012 to 2015, Ilaria worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands) on a project on "Thermoelectric properties of single semiconductor nanowires" and became known in the scientific community through publications and established herself as an independent researcher. She eventually obtained a chair in experimental condensed matter physics at the University of Basel (Switzerland), where she currently teaches.
Taking a step back, while still at Eindhoven University of Technology, she was awarded the Herta Sponer Prize, which is given in Germany to a young scientist for outstanding scientific work in the field of physics. The aim of the prize is to promote young female scientists through public awards and thus to get more women interested in physics. The award citation states, "For outstanding work in understanding the lattice dynamics and band electron structure of semiconducting nanowires with wurtzite and zinc-blende crystal structure. Her innovative research makes an important contribution to the development of complex semiconductor nanostructures for thermoelectric applications."
Zardo, who received much applause, knew how to present her subjects of study in a way that most people could understand. She also drew the audience's attention to aspects related to her status as a migrant and scientist in no less than three foreign countries, her plans for the future, the differences in her life compared to her original life, her relations with Italy and Rome, and how she managed to overcome the difficulties of learning new languages and adapting to different lifestyles and conditions.
The image that emerged was of a strong, intelligent, hard-headed and determined, but at the same time lovely woman ("an Italian German," as someone in the audience remarked at the end) who appealed to young people to dare more, to feel European, and to know how to seize opportunities and pursue their goals and dreams. In a word, to take advantage of the opportunities offered by today's Europe, to feel European in every sense of the word.
The meeting with the public after the ceremony was also very beautiful and emotional.