Researcher for the University of Bologna since 2002 and associate professor since 2021, Serena Righi carries out research activities in the field of environmental impact evaluation. Her research interests advert to the methodologies following the Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) approach and applicable to products, processes, services, and organizations.
EDUCATION
Righi graduated summa cum laude in Environmental Sciences (Marine path) at the University of Bologna in 1995 with her degree thesis “Trattabilità biologica di percolato da discarica e suo potenziale trofico su microalghe marine (Landfill leachate biological tractability and trophic potential on marine microalgae)”.
She earns her PhD in Nuclear Engineering in 1999 with her doctorate thesis “Radioattività naturale in ambienti di lavoro: misure e valutazioni radioprotezionistiche (Natural radioactivity in work environments: radiological protection measures and evaluations)”. Within her doctorate, she was a PhD visiting student at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU), Germany, from October 1998 to June 1999.
Righi followed various training courses in environmental impact evaluation and LCT application tools. She enjoyed research stays at the Technical University of Denmark, Department of Management Engineering, Section for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment (April-May 2014) and at the Imperial College of London, Centre for Environmental Policy, Industrial Metabolism Group (May-June 2015).
ACADEMIC CAREER
From 1996 to 1999 Righi earns research grants at the ex-Central Institute for scientific and technological Research Applied to the Sea (ICRAM) before and at the University of Bologna later. In 2002 she becomes Researcher in the academic discipline FIS/07 at the University of Bologna, relating to the Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi” (DIFA) and to the Interdepartmental Research Centre for Environmental Sciences (CIRSA). Since 2021 she has been associate professor of DIFA.
SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION
Serena Righi is author of 57 publications indexed on SCOPUS: 44 articles, 3 book chapters, 10 conference papers. She is authors of more than 130 scientific works not indexed on SCOPUS: more than 60 conference papers (Italian and international conferences), more than 60 contributions to book of abstracts and 10 book chapters (in Italian language).
She received 1222 citations with 17 h-index on SCOPUS and 1747 citations with 20 h-index on Google Scholar (on January 2023).
PARTECIPATION TO OR COORDINATION OF RESEARCH PROJECTS
Serena Righi has participated in many regional, national and international research programs, such as CIPE (2011-2014); LIFE (2014-2015); POR-FESR (2007-2013 and 2014-2020); Horizon 2020 (2017-2020); Climate-KIC Italy (2016 and 2017). In particular, recently, she took part in Horizon 2020 project STAR-ProBio “Sustainability Transition Assessment and Research of Bio-based Products” (2017-2020) and in the Climate-KIC Italy Pathfinder “BioGrapPa: Bioplastics from the grapes wastes to the package” (2016-2017) and in Climate-Kic Italy Accelerator “B‐PLAS: bioplastics from sludge” (2017) and B-PLAS DEMO (2018-2020). She has been coordinator of the Italian part of the EIT Climate-KIC "LOOP-Ports" project (2018-2020).
Currently, she has taken part in: two Horizon Europe projects, “BioLaMer” (Proof of principle fly larvae biorefinery for biopolymer plastic production), “NET-Fuels” (Increasing biomass conversion efficiency to carbon-negative sustainable biofuels by combination of thermal and bio-electrochemical processes); a bilateral Consortium between Italy and Israel: "BIODOT: Biobased and biodegradable Carbon Dot-Polymeric Nanofibrous Membranes for Solar-Assisted Water Remediation and Oil Spill Cleanup”; an ALMAIDEA project "RE_BIM" (Demolition and reconstruction versusrehabilitation projects: BIM digitalization strategies for life cycle evaluation of sustainability ofconstruction projects for energy and structure building rehabilitation), an INTERREG Italy-Croatia project: “MARLESS: MARine Litter cross-border awareness and innovation actions”.
UNIVERSITY EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY
From 1999 to 2001 Righi obtains positions for support to the educational activity in the Environmental Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Course at the University of Bologna.
Since 2002 she has consistently carried out tenure activities as appointed professor for different teaching Courses for Bachelor’s Degrees and Master Degrees for the Science and Literature and Cultural Heritage Schools. Between 2002 and 2005 she teaches at the Postgraduate School in Sanitary Physics at the University of Bologna. Between 2001 and 2003 she also holds teachings at Post-graduate Master Degrees organized by the University of Bologna.
She currently holds the position of professor of: Evaluation Tools for the Eco-compatibility for the Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Sciences; Life Cycle Evaluation for the Master’s Degree in Environmental Assessment and Management; Physics applied to Cultural Heritage for the single-cycle Master’s Degree in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage; Environmental Physics for the Master’s Degree in Health Professions of Prevention Sciences.
She has been supervisor and assistant-supervisor of more than 60 Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree thesis and of PhD thesis in “Environmental Sciences: natural resources protection and management”, in “Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering” and in 'Future Earth, Climate Change and Societal Challenges'. She has managed numerous research fellowship as a tutor and she is supervisor for a post-doc Early-Stage Research Fellowship of the Institute of Advances Studies of the University of Bologna. She is also supervisor for PhD visiting students.
INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Righi has been a member of the faculty board and tutor for PhD in “Environmental Sciences: natural resources protection and management”; she has also been a member of the CIRI FRAME council and a member of the Academic Committee and the Degree Commission of the Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental sciences.
At present, she is the Head of the Interdepartmental Research Centre for Environmental Sciences (CIRSA) and constituent of the Third Mission Commission of DIFA.
SCIENTIFIC AND EDITORIAL COMMITEES AFFILIATON
Since 2010 Righi has been a member of the Scientific Committee of the Italian LCA Network Association. In 2015 she has been a constituent of the Scientific Committee for the Convention: LCA for “Feeding the planet and energy for life”.
She was members of the board of directors of the Italian LCA Network Association from 2012 to 2019.
She is referee of various international journals in the field of Environmental Sciences, such as: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Annals of Nuclear Energy, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Atmospheric Environment, Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Central European Journal of Geosciences, Environmental Modelling & Software, Environmental Science & Technology, Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies, Journal of Environmental Monitoring, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Radiation Measurements, Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Reviews in Environmental Science and Biotechnology, Science of the Total Environment.
