Born: May
22, 1935 (Bologna)
Married: Iole
Volta
Children: Leonardo,
Amerigo
Nationality: Italian
Present position : Chair of Astrophysics,
University of Bologna
Academic career
Physics Degree (Bologna University, 1959); Associate Professor
of Astronomy (1969); Chair of Astrophysics (1972 -
present)
Positions
(in Italy)
Assistant (Chair of Astronomy, Bologna University,
1960 - 61)
Astronomer (Astron. Observatory - Rome/Center for
Astrophysics, Frascati, 1962 - 66)
Chief Astronomer (Institute of Astronomy, Bologna
University, 1967 - 72)
Director , Institute of
Radioastronomy C.N.R., Bologna (1970 - 92)
President, National Institute for
Astrophysics (2000 – 2003) (abroad)
Visiting Fellow (Sterrewacht, University of
Leiden, 1962-1964)
Research Associate (Department of Astronomy, Columbia
University, New York , 1964 -1965)
Visiting Scientist at various European and
American institutions from 1967 to 1973; among these: the
Dept. of Applied Math. Theor. Phys. and the Institute of
Astronomy, Cambridge University (U.K.), and the Astronomy
Dept., Columbia University.
Visiting Professor (Physics Department, M.I.T.,
Cambridge MA, 1974; Astronomy Department, University of
Groningen, NL, 1975)
(International organizations)
Headof the Science Division ,
European Southern Observatory (ESO), Garching, FRG (1982 - 89)
Associate : ESO (1977 - 81; 1990 - 93)
Committees and Boards
(Italy)
National Committee for Physical Sciences of the CNR (1977
– 1986; President, 1979 - 81)
Council of Presidency of the National Research Council - CNR (
1979 - 81)
Council for Astronomical Research (1983 – 1999; Chairman,
1987 - 1999)
Science Committee of the Italian Space Agency (President,
1997 - 1999)
National Council for Science and Technology (1990 - 1999)
(International)
Astronomy Working Group of the European Space Agency (ESA)
(Chairman, 1976 -79)
Sience Programme Committee – ESA (Italian science
delegate 1980 – 82, 1997 – 99)
European Consortium for VLBI (1983 – 92; President, 1983
- 87)
Cosmology Commission of the International Astronomical Union
(President, 1985 - 88)
Board of Directors of the LBT Corporation (1989 – 2003)
Comité Cientifico International, Canary Ils. Observatories
(1991-2003; President, 1994 - 97)
European Northern Observatory Network (ENOnet)
(President, 2002 - 2003)
Board of OPTICON (European network for astronomy) (1998 –
2003)
Board of Directors of the European Journal “Astronomy and
Astrophysics” (1973 – 92; V.President 1990 - 92)
Co-Chair (w. Léon Van Hove) of the ESO-CERN Symposia
(1983 – 1990)
International Organizing Committee Texas Symposia (1988 –
2002)
Survey Committee - ESA Long Term Programme “Space Science:
Horizon 2000” (1983 - 84)
Advisory Committee of the Space Science Department of ESA (1983
- 84)
Science Committee of the Solvay Conferences (1989 - 2004)
Honorary member of the Scientific
Committee for Physics of the International Solvay Institutes (since
April 2004)
Editor of the Journal “New Astronomy”
(1996 - 2008)
Director of the International School of
Astrophysics – “Ettore Majorana” Centre for Scientific Culture –
Erice (1970 – 82)
Academies and Societies
National Fellow of the “Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei”
National Fellow of the “Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta
dei XL”
Associate Member of the “Royal Astronomical Society”
Member of “The Academia Europaea”
Fellow of the “Accademia delle Scienze dell' Istituto di
Bologna”
Italian Astronomical Society, Italian Physical Society ,
European Astronomical Society, International Astronomical
Union (V.President, 2006-present)
Honours
Award of the Italian Ministry of Public
Education for Astronomy, Geodesy and Geophysics (Accademia
Nazionale dei Lincei, 1976).
Gold Medal for achievements in Science and
Culture of the President of the Italian Republic (1998).
Grand Officer of the Order for Merit of the
Italian Republic (2004)