Warning Long, personal, emotional post. Could be boring to read 😅
I started today (July 1st, officially) my new research contract as “Ricercatore a Tempo Determinato lettera b)”, that can be roughly translated to “fixed term post-doc researcher”.
It doesn’t seem quite an achievement, but actually it is, at least for me: in three years, I will become an associate professor 🍾 (unless I make someone angry or if I suddenly stop publishing or die 😅)
This means essentially two things to me, personally:
- no more “publish or perish” anxiety (perhaps no more “impostor syndrome”? would be wonderful…)
- financial stability for my family (👨🏻👩🏻👧🏻👦🏻 + 1 😅)
I owe this achievement to many people. I’ll try my best to be concise but exhaustive.
To my most recent supervisor, Prof. Franco Zambonelli, that more than anyone else helped me focus and persist, from whom I learnt too many things to be listed here, and who laid before me the path toward this achievement in the best way possible.
To my PhD supervisor, Prof. Andrea Omicini, that made me fall in love with this sometimes weird job of “doing research”, and kick-started my early research days with unmatched patience.
To Prof. Alessandro Ricci, that I look to as a role model for his unmatched passion and unlimited curiosity.
To Prof. Mirko Viroli, that I look to as a role model of scientific discipline and teaching skills.
To my colleague Dott. Marco Picone for sharing with me his passion for Digital Twins and his unmatched networking skills. To my colleague Prof. Sara Montagna for sharing with me her passion for applied research and her family stories. To my colleague Dott. Danilo Pianini that I look to as a role model of dedication and scientific rigour. To my colleague Dott. Giovanni Ciatto for his patience and desire for learning. To my colleague Dott. Roberta Calegari for making me feel like a knew what I was doing. To Prof. Michela Milano for sharing with me her appreciation during my early career, which still helps me when the impostor syndrome kicks in.
I am and will be always grateful to you all.
