Rita Sorrentino

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

• Dal 1/12/2018 -30/11/2022 - Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biological, Geological and Enviromental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Italy. Project title: The evolution of bipedalism and the study of the variability of navicular bone in the living Hominids (H. sapiens, Pan, Gorilla and Pongo) BIO/08 (Tutor: Prof.ssa Maria Giovanna Belcastro; Co-Tutors: Prof. Stefano Benazzi; Prof. Damiano Marchi).

• Dal 15/01/2018 al 16/04/2018 - Visiting scholar (3 months-stay) at the Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, under the supervision of Prof. Timothy M. Ryan.

EDUCATION

• 15/03/2019 - PhD in Earth, Life and Environmental Sciences, (Biology, BIO/08 - Anthropology), Department of Biological, Geological and Enviromental Sciences (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Italy. Thesis title: Exploring morphological variation in hominid talar bones using geometric morphometric approaches. Tutor: Prof.ssa Maria Giovanna Belcastro - Co-Tutor: Prof. Stefano Benazzi.

• 16/03/2015 -M.Sc. Archaeology (LM-2) in 'Ricerca, Documentazione e Tutela dei Beni Archeologici' (110 cum laude), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna (BIO/08). Thesis title: Studio della biodistanza e dei pattern funerari all'interno della necropoli di IV-III secolo a.C. di Monterenzio Vecchio (BO). Tutor: Prof. Stefano Benazzi.

• 18/11/2011 - B.Sc. Cultural Heritage (L-1) in 'Beni Culturali' (110 cum laude), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna (BIO/08). Thesis title: Testimonianze archeoantropologiche dell'età del Bronzo in Sicilia: studio dei resti umani di Corvo - Partanna (TP). Tutor: Prof. Giorgio Gruppioni.

FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS

• 2019 - Best Poster Award - Dental enamel proteins reveal the sex of the 'Lovers of Modena', by Lugli F., Di Rocco G., Vazzana A., Genovese F., Pinetti D., Carile M.C., Silvestrini S., Gabanini G., Arrighi S., Buti L., Bortolini E., Cipriani A., Figus C., Marciani G., Oxilia G., Romandini M., Sorrentino R., Sola M., Benazzi S., XXIII congresso della Associazione Antropologica Italiana, Padua, September 4-6, 2019 (€300).

• 2018 - Marco Polo Fellowship, BiGeA - University of Bologna. Host institution: Pennsylvania State University. Project title: Exploring internal and external morphological changes in modern human and Neanderthal tali (€4050).

• 2011 - Award for degree ongoing by ER.GO - Regional Authority for the Right to Higher Education, Emilia Romagna, Italy.

PARTICIPATION AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH TEAMS

• 2021 – 2022 - Team Member of “A real-time biomechanical study of Neanderthal anterior dentition” funded by the Australian Research Council (PROJECT ID: DP190100465). P.I. Luca Fiorenza.

• 2017 - 2021 - Collaborator of “The earliest migration of Homo sapiens in southern Europe: understanding the biocultural processes that define our uniqueness” funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement n. 724046 - SUCCESS). P.I. Stefano Benazzi.

• 2017 - Team Member of “BIRTH (Burial/Infant/Ritual Theme)” funded by ALMA IDEA Grant Senior. P.I. Elisabetta Govi.

RESPONSIBILITY OF STUDIES AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ENTRUSTED BY QUALIFIED PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS

• 2014 -2015 - Exhibition designer and anthropological consulting for the archaeological skeletal museum exhibition on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Monte Bibele at the Museum L. Fantini of Monterenzio (Bologna, Italy).
• Nov 2011 - Antropological Consulting for the Master thesis in Science of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage of Dr. B. Figuccio entitled "A Reliquary in Trapani", University of Palermo, Palermo (Italy).

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

• A.A. 2021- 2022 - Adjunct professor in the course “14030 - Anthropometry and Ergonomics (Module 2)”, SSD BIO/08, 6CFU, 47 hours, First Cycle Degree/Bachelor in Exercise And Sport Sciences (Rimini, Italy) at the Department for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna.

• 17-19/06/2019 - Lecture e Practical session in the Summer School “MORPHOSTATS-3D: Geometric Morphometric Methods for the analysis of shape and form variables”, Dipartimento di Beni Culturali, Ravenna – Unibo.

• 21-25/05/2018 - Lecture e Practical session in the Summer School “MORPHOSTATS-3D: Geometric Morphometric Methods for the analysis of shape and form variables”, Dipartimento di Beni Culturali, Ravenna – Unibo.

• 15-22/05/2017 - Tutor in Biodeterioration and Degradation of Bioarchaeological Materials- 67147, Master in Science for the Conservation - Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Department of Chemistry ‘Giacomo Ciamician’ University of Bologna, Italy. 

• 9-31/05/2016 - Tutor in Biodeterioration and Degradation of Bioarchaeological Materials- 67147, Master in Science for the Conservation - Restoration of Cultural Heritage, Department of Chemistry ‘Giacomo Ciamician’ University of Bologna, Italy.

• 14/10/2016 - Invited Lecture “Anthropological application of Geometric Morphometric methods (GMM)”, in Bioarchaeology, Paleopathology and Forensic Anthropology, University of Bologna, Italy.
   – 8271. Scuola di Scienze – Bologna.

• Since 2015 - Adjunct Lecturer and laboratory assistant: ‘Paleoanthropology’, ‘Human Evolution and Biodiversity’, ‘Laboratory of Bioarchaeology and Forensic Osteology’; Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences/ Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Italy.
  

SUPERVISION OF PhD STUDENTS

• ongoing - Teresa Nicolosi – PhD in Cultural and Environmental Heritage, 38° Cycle, Alma Mater Studiorum Università Di Bologna. Project Title: “Lo studio della biodistanza alla luce dei rituali funerari. Contatti tra i gruppi neo-eneolitici dell’Italia centro-settentrionale e dell’Europa orientale”. Tutor: Prof. Stefano Benazzi. Co-Tutors: Prof. M. Giovanna Belcastro, Dr. Rita Sorrentino, Dr. Antonino Vazzana.
  
  
• ongoing - Erica Piccirilli – PhD in Cultural and Environmental Heritage, 38° Cycle,
  01/11/2022 Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna. Project Title: “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for the study of the Neanderthal remains of Grotta Guattari:paleoanthropological analysis, virtual restoration, valorization and dissemination”. Tutor: Prof. Stefano Benazzi. Co-Tutor: Dr. Rita Sorrentino.
  
  

SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS  

• Since 2018 - Mentor of 3 PhD students dealing with geometric morphometric methods:

  - Annalisa - Pietrobelli, Department of Biological, Geological and Enviromental Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy. Her PhD project focus on shape variation of proximal and distal epiphysis of fibula in H. sapiens from Upper Palaeolithic to today (Awarded, 2023).

- Carla Figus, Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Italy. Her PhD project dealt with the ontogenetic shape variation of the talus, highlighting morphological features associated to the development of bipedalism in humans (Awarded, 2021).

- Cristina Serrangeli, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland. Her PhD thesis deals with human calcaneal shape variation due to sexual dimorphism (Awarded, 2021).

• Since 2017-  Co-supervision of 5 M.Sc and 3 B.Sc students dealing with physical anthropology and archaeology, traditional osteoarchaeological or geometric morphometric methods, University of Bologna (Department of History and Cultures; Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences; Department of Cultural Heritage), Italy.

MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

• Since 2020 Member AAI - Associazione Antropologica Italiana

• Since 2018 Member ESHE - European Society for the study of Human Evolution

REVIEWING ACTIVITIES

• 2022-2023 - Guest Editor in the Research Topic “Human Upright Walking from Past to Present”, section of ‘Quaternary Science, Geomorphology and Paleoenvironment’ in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science, and sections of “Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology” e “Paleontology” in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/48583/human-upright-walking-from-past-to-present

• Since 2017 - Reviewer for the following journals: Scientific Reports (n=1), International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (n=2), Clinical Anatomy (n=1), Anatomical Science International (n=1), Journal of Anatomy (n=2), American Journal of Biological Anthropology (n=1), Biology (n=1).

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES

• Feb 2014 – Feb 2015 - National Civilian Voluntary Service at the Laboratory of Osteoarchaeology and Paleoanthropology, Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Italy.

• Apr 2013 – Mag 2013 - Internship at Laboratorio di Antropologia Archeologica (DBC), Ravenna, (University of Bologna). Project: Analysis of human skeletal remains from the St. Orsola Convent in Florence as part of the Monna Lisa project.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS

• 6-18/06/2016 - Prehistoric archaeological excavation at the Cave of Uluzzo C  (Nardò, Lecce –Italia). Scientific Directors: Dr. E. Spinapolice (Università la Sapienza di Roma), Prof. S. Benazzi and Prof. A. Curci (Università di Bologna).

• Dal 26/08/2017 al 10/09/2017 - Prehistoric archaeological excavation at the Cave of Uluzzo C (Nardò, Lecce –Italia). Scientific Directors: Dr. E. Spinapolice (Università la Sapienza di Roma), Prof. S. Benazzi and Prof. A. Curci (Università di Bologna).

• Dal 17/06/2013 al 7/07/2013 - Archaeological excavation, topographic survey and study of materials of the Ancient Bronze Age site of Mursia, Pantelleria (Trapani, Italy). Scientific Director: Prof. M. Cattani (Università di Bologna).

• 11-29/06/2012 - Archaeological excavation, topographic survey and study of materials of the Ancient Bronze Age site of Mursia, Pantelleria (Trapani, Italy). Scientific Director: Prof. M. Cattani (Università di Bologna).

• 1-14/09/2012 -  Archaeological excavation, analyzing complex stratigraphy, study of material of the Bronze Age site of Solarolo (Ravenna, Italy). Scientific Director: Prof. M. Cattani (Università di Bologna) and Dott.ssa M. Miari (Sopr. BB. CC. Emilia-Romagna).

• Dal 27/05/2011 al 8/06/2011 - Underwater archaeological study and preservation of Late Roman wreck of a ship (relitto Grillo) discovered in Valderice sea (Trapani, Italy). Scientific Directors: Dott. R. la Rocca (Sopr. del Mare di Palermo) and Dott. L. Abelli (Ares Archeologia Ravenna).

• 19-31/07/2010 - Archaeological excavation of the proto-historic site of Bunifat- Alcamo (Trapani, Italy). Scientific Directors: Dott.ssa R. Giglio (Sopr. per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali di Trapani) and A. Filippi (Gad Drepanon).