Elena Bernardi

Elena is Associate Professor at the University of Bologna since October 2019, performing research in the field of Chemistry for the Environment and for Cultural Heritage. Her current research interests primarily include the effects of environment and pollutants on traditional and modern materials for artistic, architectural and industrial applications, as well as the development of protective coatings for outdoor monuments and the development of accelerated ageing methods for different classes of materials (further details are available in the “Research” section).

• PhD in Industrial Chemistry - Curriculum in Environmental Chemistry (May 26, 2005) at the University of Bologna (PhD thesis on “Chemistry of the wet and dry depositions – their interactions with environment and materials”).
• Qualification to practice the profession of chemist, achieved at the University of Ferrara in 2001.
• Master degree cum laude in Industrial Chemistry (October 26, 2001) at the University of Bologna.

In 2011, she was enrolled as a Researcher in Chemistry for the Environment and for Cultural Heritage at the Department of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari” at the University of Bologna, where she was Post-Doc researcher from 2003 to 2011. In April 2017, she achieved the National Scientific Qualification for the enrollment as Associate Professor. Since October 2019, she has been Associate Professor at the University of Bologna. In February 2023, she achieved the National Scientific Qualification for the enrollment as Full Professor.

Since A.Y. 2011/2012 she has been teaching several courses within first and second cycle degree programs of the School of Science at the University of Bologna (further details are available in the "Teaching" section).

She currently teaches

• “Environmental Chemistry” for the first cycle degree programmes (L) in Industrial Chemistry and Chemistry and Technologies for the Environment and Materials and for the second cycle degree international programme (LM) in Advanced Spectroscopy in Chemistry.
• “Principi di Controllo e Gestione dell'impatto Ambientale – Module 2” and “Laboratorio di Principi di Controllo e Gestione dell'impatto Ambientale – Module 2” for the first cycle degree programme (L) in Chemical methodologies for products and processes.
  

She is and has been involved in national and international projects, such as:

• “Novel sustainable BIOactive COATings to preserve metal surfaces in Cultural heritage and Healthcare (BIO-COATCH)”, PRIN-PNRR 2022 funded by the European union - Next Generetion EU; Coordinator Prof.ssa Martina Cappelletti, Università di Bologna; 2023-2025)

• "SECURE-COATS – Safe, eco-friendly and durable coatings to prevent deterioration of heritage stones", PRIN 2022 funded by the European union - Next Generetion EU (Coordinator: Prof. Enrico Sassoni, University of Bologna; 2023-2025)

• "Identification of micro-pollutants from urban areas and related containment techniques within urban wastewater purification systems" (in collaboration with Regione Emilia-Romagna, Direzione generale cura del territorio e dell’ambiente; 2022-2024)

• "PROCRAFT - PROtection and Conservation of Heritage AirCRAFT" (2020 - 2023), funded within the international JPICH Conservation and Protection Call 2019 (Coordinator: Dr. Elodie Guilminot, GPLA – Arc’Antique, France)

• “Industrial Surplus Trade Management Platform - SURPLUS MALL” (01/06/2018 - 31/12/2018). Pathfinder, EIT Climate-KIC European HQ (Coordinator: Vicente Gavara Padilla, Energy Technological Institute, Valencia - Spain)

• “VALSOVIT - Valorizzazione sostenibile degli scarti della filiera vitivinicola per l'industria chimica e salutistica” (2016-2018), co-founded by European Founds 2014-2020 for the Emilia Romagna Region - POR FESR Emilia Romagna 2014/2020 (Coordinator: Terra&Acqua)

• “B-IMPACT Bronze-IMproved non-hazardous PAtina CoaTings” (2015-2017), funded within the M-ERA.NET Transnational call 2013 (coordinator: Dr. Tadeja Kosec, Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute)

• "Innovative Methods for the Conservation of Gilded Bronzes" (2011-2013), PRIN 2009 funded by the Italian Ministry of Education and Research (Coordinator: Prof. Cecilia Monticelli, University of Ferrara).

She collaborated and collaborates with international and national research groups, such as: Prof. Manuel Morcillo and Dr. Daniel de la Fuente (CENIM-CSIC, Madrid, Spain); Dr. Luc Robbiola (University of Toulouse, France); Dr. Elodie Guilminot (GPLA – Arc’Antique, France); Dr. Tadeja Kosec (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia); Dr. Edith Joseph (University of Neuchâtel,Svizzera); Prof. Ezio Bolzacchini and Dr. Luca Ferrero (UNIMIB, Milano, Italy); Prof. Andrea Balbo (UNIFE, Ferrara, Italy).

Author and co-author of more than 60 publications present on Scopus, 2 book chapters and more than 140 communications to international and national congresses (29 of them have been published as extended proceedings).

As a member of the Register of Expert Peer Reviewers for Italian Scientific Evaluation (REPRISE), she evaluates scientific research projects.

She serves also as Referee for several international scientific journal in the fields of environmental and material chemistry.

• Since Jenuary 2022: Coordinator of the Didactic Area CHIM12 for the Department of Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari"
• Since July 2020: Member of the Scientific Commission of the Central Library of Chemistry (untill october 2021), then Navile LibrarySince
• Since A.Y. 2018/19: Coordinator of the Commission for the Internship of the first cycle degree in Chemistry and Technologies for the Environment and Materials.
• Since A.Y. 2016/17: Member of the Commission for the admission to the second cycle degree in Industrial Chemistry
• From AY 2016/17 to 2017/18: Member of the Commission for the Internship of the first cycle degree in Chemistry and Technologies for the Environment and Materials

• Since 2012: member of the Editorial Board of the international journal “Environmental Science and Pollution Research” (Springer).
• Guest Editor for Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Volume 21, Issue 23, December 2014 “Chemistry in a sustainable society”.

SCIENTIFIC AND ORGANIZING COMMITTEES

• Scientific and Organizing Committee of the 5° School of Chemistry for the Environment and for Cultural Heritage “Le nuove frontiere della ricerca” (Scuola della Divisione di Chimica dell’Ambiente e dei Beni Culturali – Società Chimica Italiana), Ravenna, 23-26 gennaio 2018.
• Organizing Committee of the XV National Congress of Chemistry for the Environment and for Cultural Heritage – Italian Chemical Society, Bergamo, 14-18 giugno 2015.
• Scientific and Organizing Committee of the GIORNATE DI STUDIO - ROADSHOW SULLA QUALITÀ DELL’ARIA INDOOR - La qualità dell’aria indoor: la situazione italiana, i riferimenti, i controlli e le tecnologie; Bologna, Venerdì 4 Luglio; Bari, Mercoledì 7 Luglio 2014.
• Scientific and Organizing Committee of the XIV National Congress of Chemistry for the Environment and for Cultural Heritage – Italian Chemical Society “La chimica nella società sostenibile”, Rimini, 3-5 giugno 2013

2017: Funded under the "Fund for basic research activities" FFABR 2017 (Avviso pubblico per il finanziamento delle attività base di ricerca, di cui all’art. 1, commi 295 e seguenti, della legge 11 dicembre 2016 n. 232 (gu n.297 del 21-12-2016 - suppl. ordinario n. 57)).

2009: awarded by the Interregional Chemical Association of Lazio, Umbria, Abruzzo and Molise “for the commitment in improving the image of Chemistry through the development of the urban environment and the protection of buildings and handmade products”, within the XXIII National Congress of the Italian Chemical Society, Sorrento, 2009

2002: award for the best thesis within the VII National Congress of Environmental Chemistry, Venezia, 2002

• Member of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI).
• Member of the National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM).
• Member of the International Council of Museums - Conservation Committee (ICOM-CC), Working Group “Metals”.
• Member of the Integrated Research Team on Science & Technology for Cultural Heritage (Alma HeritageScience IRT) of the University of Bologna.
• Member of the Interdepartmental Industrial Research Centre (CIRI) “Renewable Sources, Environment, Sea, Energy – FRAME” (ex CIRI “Energy and Environment”) of the University of Bologna.

She has been supervisor and co-supervisor of 4 PhD students in Chemistry (XXXV, XXX and XXVIII cycles) and in Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering (XXX cycle); she is currently co-supervisor of a FRONTIERS PhD students (XVIII cycle). She has been tutor of 4 junior researchers on subjects regarding the interaction between environment and materials.

She has been tutor and co-tutor for more than 60 degree thesis for MSc and BSc programs (MSc programs in Industrial Chemistry, Architecture and Building Engineering, Science for the Conservation-Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Advanced Spectroscopy in Chemistry; Single cycle degree/Combined Bachelor and Master in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage; BSc programs in Industrial Chemistry, Chemistry and Technologies for the Environment and Materials, Chemical Technologies for the Environment and Waste Management, Chemical Technologies for the Conservation-Restoration of Cultural Heritage).

• 2006-2007: six-month apprenticeship at 3000 s.r.l – Ecosurvey® with the project “Analysis and modelling of environmental data concerning the soil remediation of four Italian sites”.
• 2004: Marco Polo scholarship for PhD students from the University of Bologna to spend three months at the School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich (UK) under the supervision of Prof. Peter Brimblecombe. The research project was titled “Effect of the deposition of inorganic and organic substances on bronze corrosion and solubilisation of corrosion products”.
• 2001-2002: forward contract at the Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL (National Academy of Sciences XL) to work on the coordination of the new aspects of the research on atmospheric depositions and their effects on forestal heritage.