L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano P romoting network- ing and cultural, scientific, academ- ic, and technologi- c a l c o o p e r a t i o n between the US scientific com- munity and public and private organizations in Italy. This is the goal of ISSNAF (Italian Scientists and Scholars in North America Founda- tion), a nonprofit organization that connects more than 3,000 s c h o l a r s , r e s e a r c h e r s , a n d technologists in North Ameri- ca. Under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, ISSNAF was found- ed in 2007 by 36 eminent Ital- ian scientists and scholars in North America, including four Nobel laureates, under the a u s p i c e s o f t h e I t a l i a n Embassy in Washington DC. The organization has a central leadership and a network of nine chapters, which represent the organization locally. In recent years there has been a particular sensitivity within the organization to activities relat- ed to the Los Angeles area. "The Foundation has a tradi- t i o n o n t h e W e s t C o a s t , " E m a n u e l e A m e n d o l a , director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Westwood, tells us. "The Los Angeles chapter is developing now and is still in a process of transformation. To facilitate its development, we have launched together with the consulate a program of three events -two already held, one scheduled for April- under the aegis of 'Building a Sus- tainable Future' and involving the best of Italian research rep- resentatives in Southern Cali- fornia." Thus, the goal is to launch a L o s A n g e l e s I S S N A F chapter at the next Research Day to be held on April 15, 2023. ISSNAF President and deputy chief scientist at the N A S A J P L l a b o r a t o r y i n Pasadena, Cinzia Zuffada, explains that: "The common denominator of these events is sustainability; within this more general theme, we found two sub-themes: the first is artifi- cial intelligence and the second is space. The consulate wants to follow the directions given b y t h e g o v e r n m e n t , w h i c h decided to dedicate the 15th of December to celebrating Ital- ian contributions to space. Indeed, we should remember that Italy was the third coun- try, after the United States and Russia, to launch a satel- l i t e i n t o s p a c e . T h e A p r i l event, on the other hand, will b e d e d i c a t e d t o I t a l i a n research in the world, and cel- ebrated on the day of Leonar- do Da Vinci's birth." "At ISSNAF, we believe that Italian intellectual talent is a powerful resource that benefits humanity. Profes- sionals who have studied in I t a l y a n d m o v e d t o N o r t h America bring a unique intel- lectual and cultural back- ground that is valuable not o n l y t o t h e i r p r o f e s s i o n a l fields but also to their col- leagues in North America and Italy. We are committed to making the Italian intellectual diaspora in North America accessible, enriched, and rec- ognized." Zuffada continues. "ISSNAF chapters carry out the foundation's mission at the local level with the sup- port of active members and volunteers. The mission is to connect, empower and cele- brate the Italian intellectual 'diaspora' in North America." Cinzia Zuffada, an elec- trical engineer, has lived in the US since 1985, where she has worked as a researcher in the field of earth sciences. As a senior manager at JPL Lab- oratory, she sets the guide- lines, scientific directions, and p r o j e c t s i n t h e i n t e r n a l research funds investment program. "Through my posi- tion as a manager at JPL, I can facilitate opportunities for joint research experiences with Italians and allow these collaborations to endure: an example of ISSNAF's commit- m e n t t o b u i l d i n g b r i d g e s between the US and Italy," Zuffada says. "We recently started working with two uni- versities in Italy, the Universi- ty of Pisa and the Polytechnic University of Turin. The goal is to give selected students access to training experiences in institutions in North Amer- ica and to enhance discipli- nary areas where collabora- t i o n s b e t w e e n I t a l i a n universities and the research centers we represent do not yet exist. In Italy, these types of collaborations are still lim- ited, and we help precisely to fill this deficit. Los Angeles has very important universi- ties and a pool of work that is based on innovation produced by research: Silicon Beach, the aerospace industry, and so on are examples of industries that use a lot of research." "The ISSNAF network rep- resents all disciplines: medi- cine, biology, the fields of biotechnology, physics, engi- neering," Zuffada explains, "as well as artificial intelli- gence and robotics, but also the social sciences, humani- ties, and economics." It was founded 15 years ago thanks to Professor Giorgio Einaudi, then a scientific attaché at the Italian Embassy in Washington, who recog- nized how valuable Italian sci- entists and researchers on US soil could be an outstanding resource for Italy as well. "Einaudi had a special charis- ma and was a very energetic person. The organization took shape and its first president was Vito Campese, a profes- sor at USC, who remained in office until the end of 2019." Zuffada tells us that Einaudi, Campese, and other founding members were part of the first generation through which several collaborative projects were set up with entities in Italy, such as the Ministry of the Environment, the Nation- al Council of Engineers and the Marche Foundation, to f a c i l i t a t e t h e m o b i l i t y o f young people from Italy. "The Marche Foundation has fund- ed, for several years, many scholarships to young Italian Ph.Ds for post-docs at Ameri- can research laboratories, identified thanks to ISSNAF. We would like to keep and expand this type of education- al experience that can enrich Italy, once these young people return home." In addition, each year the annual ISSNAF event cele- brates the achievements of o u t s t a n d i n g I t a l i a n researchers in North America by presenting several awards. The ISSNAF awards honor y o u n g e a r l y - c a r e e r researchers, who have partic- ularly distinguished them- selves; the ISSNAF Career Achievement Award, on the other hand, celebrates people of Italian descent who have honored Italy and made significant contributions to r e s e a r c h , l e a d e r s h i p , a n d mentoring. "We are an association of volunteers; we on the board contribute funds to the associ- ation as well as time, we have a kind of double duty. The contributions from our spon- sors to the awards, we use to give to young people." Each prize is $5,000: $3,000 goes to the winner and $2,000 is divided among three finalists t o h e l p t h e m t r a v e l t o t h e embassy in Washington, D.C., where the prize is presented. M o s t o f o u r r e s o u r c e s a r e spent for the benefit of young n e w c o m e r s t o t h e U S , i n w h o m w e f i r s t - g e n e r a t i o n people "see ourselves," as we have the immigration experi- ence in common. I hope oth- ers will feel the same motiva- tion, and that we will be able to involve all interested enti- ties to financially support our mission." And how did research and the opportunity for Italian researchers to do research in the US change in the last few decades? "Talking about my field, s p a c e , t h e f u n d a m e n t a l change has been the presence o f n e w p a r t i c i p a n t s l i k e SpaceX and the "new space" ecosystem, that does many of the activities once historically c o n n e c t e d t o N A S A . T h e change is that we have more agility, let's say. The commu- nity itself has grown so much, but the opportunities have not grown proportionally. In some ways, it is a tad more difficult f o r y o u n g p e o p l e b e c a u s e there is so much competition. F r o m m y p o i n t o f v i e w though, this also constitutes a very important opportunity." In addition to concretely facilitating the reception of Italians in US research centers represented by their mem- bers, local chapters are also rallying points for new ideas and bringing the organization into contact with the public. "In the long run, we would like the chapters to remain an important interlocutor for the Consulate and the Italian Cul- tural Institute," Zuffada con- cludes, "and to be a resource to draw on when Consulates and Cultural Institutes devote themselves to specific issues related to research and inno- vation." ISSNAF President Cinzia Zuffada. Photo: Ambasciata Italiana DC Local chapter kicks off for Italian scientists in Los Angeles SILVIA GIUDICI LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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