Sonia Silvestri

Current position and affiliations

Sonia Silvestri is associate professor at the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences of the University of Bologna (Italy). Moreover, she holds a position as Adjunct Associate Professor at Duke University, USA (Division of Earth & Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment). She is also fellow of the Venice International University, Venice, Italy.

Education and professional experience

• Laurea in Environmental Sciences, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy (1997)
• PhD in Environmental System Modelling, University of Padova, Italy (1998-2001) – the research aimed at applying remote sensing to the study of salt marsh topography and morphology, with a focus on the distribution of halophytes on the marsh in relation to edaphic and biotic factors.
• Post-Doc, Department of Hydraulic, Maritime, Geotechnical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Padova, Italy (2002) – the research mainly focused on geomorphic aspects related to the development of salt marsh vegetation in the Venice lagoon, Italy.
• After the completion of her Post-Doctoral assistantship, Silvestri spent about 10 years working on applied research topics, as a consultant for academic and non-academic institutions, in collaboration with private companies as well as public authorities. Activities carried out during this period include: detection of illegal landfills using remote sensing; use of optical remote sensing for the delineation of surface peat deposits; study of the hydrology of the Venice Lagoon subsurface using airborne electromagnetics (AEM) sensors; calibration of a hydrodynamic model of the Venice lagoon using satellite thermal data; mapping seagrass species in the Venice Lagoon using optical satellite data. Between 2008 and 2011 Silvestri co-founded and managed a private company specialized in environmental monitoring, GIS data analysis, and remote sensing.
• In 2011 Silvestri moved back to academic research, accepting a full-time position as a Research Scientist in the Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University (USA, 2011-2013). She then was a Visiting Assistant Professor, from 2013 to 2015, before being appointed Adjunct Assistant Professor in the same institution (2015).
• In 2017 Silvestri was awarded a Marie Sklodowska Curie fellow from the European Commission for the Project CReScenDo (grant agreement No. 747809), which aimed at quantifying the extent and thickness of peatlands from the local to the regional scale, using remote sensing and geophysics (June 2017- May 2019). During this period she was hosted by the TESAF department, University of Padova.
• From November 2019 to November 2022 Silvestri holded the position of senior researcher (which corresponds to a tenure-track Associate Professor position) at the University of Bologna, BiGeA Department.
• In November 2022 Silvestri became Associate Professor with tenure at the BiGeA Department. 

Teaching experience

Since obtaining her PhD degree, Sonia Silvestri has been teaching several graduate and undergraduate courses, in Italy and elsewhere. Some recent courses are:

2020-present "Landuse Monitoring and Planning", University of Bologna, Sede di Ravenna. Graduate level.

2020-present Geomorphology and Earth Processes within the “Geologia e Litologia” course (“Geology and Lithology”), University of Bologna, Sede di Ravenna. Undergraduate level.

Fall 2019 “Principi di gestione del territorio” (“Environmental and landuse planning and management”), University of Bologna, Sede di Ravenna. Graduate level.

2014-2017 “Coastal Wetlands, Lagoons and Estuaries: Environmental Monitoring and Management”. Venice International University (Venice – Italy). Undergraduate level.

2014-2016 “Monitoring and Management of Coastal Wetlands, Lagoons and Estuaries”, Boston University Study Abroad Summer Program (Venice – Italy). Undergraduate level.

2014-2016 “Environmental monitoring of coastal morphology and water quality”, Summer Program “Environmental Management in a Changing World: Coping with Sea Level Rise”, Venice International University (Italy). Graduate level.

2014-2015 “Introduction to satellite remote sensing of coastal areas”. Duke Study Abroad - Venice International University (Venice – Italy). Undergraduate level.

2012-2013 “Introduction to Satellite Remote Sensing” - Nicholas School of the Environment and Civil and Environmental Engineering - Duke University. Undergraduate level.

2012 spring semester “Remote sensing of Coastal Environments” - Nicholas School of the Environment and Civil and Environmental Engineering - Duke University. Graduate level.

Between 2014 and 2017 Silvestri organized and managed a Summer Program called “Environmental Management in a Changing World: Coping with Sea Level Rise”, Venice International University, Venice (Italy).

Current and Recent Research Projects and Awards

• co-PI of the project “AdriaClimPlus - Adriatic coastal areas science-based solutions for climate adaptation” funded by the Italy- Croatia INTERREG EU Programme ITHR0200333. March 2024 – August 2026. Responsible of "Activity A2.3 Remote sensing observing systems upgrade" for the development of new methods to retrieve water quality parameters (i.e. suspended sediment concentration, chlorophyll concentration, etc.) from satellite data in coastal Adriatic waters.
• co-PI of the project “NatuReef- Nature-based reef solution for coastal protection and marine biodiversity enhancement” Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) Project: 101113742 — LIFE-2022-SAP-NAT - Nature & Biodiversity - Standard Action. Ref.: LIFE22-NAT-IT-LIFE-NatuReef/101113742. Period: 1/07/2023 - 30/06/2027.
• Co-PI (Co-Principal Investigator responsible of local unit) of the research project “Coupled Ecological-Geomorphological Response of Coastal Wetlands to Environmental Change” funded by the National Science Foundation (USA), 15 July 2020 - 30 June 2024. NSF Grant No. EAR-2016068 - PI: A. Brad Murray (Duke University) Co-PI: Sonia Silvestri as responsible of the WorkPackage 1.2 Remote Sensing Data Processing and Retrieval; and of the WorkPackage 1.3 Analysis of LiDAR and Multi-Spectral Retrievals of biomass distribution.
• PI of the project “CHANGED - CHAracteriziNG pEatlands from Drones” funded by the University of Padova within the programme STARS Grants, 1 June 2020 – 31 October 2023.
• co-PI of the project “Coupled Ecological-Geomorphological Response of Coastal Wetlands to Environmental Change” funded by the National Science Foundation (USA), 15 July 2020 - 30 June 2023.
• Silvestri was awarded a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship from the European Commission for the Project CReScenDo, which aimed at quantifying the extent and thickness of peatlands from the local to the regional scale, using remote sensing and geophysics, to accurately define their importance in the global carbon cycle (June 2017- May 2019).
• Leader of the team “DAG4Peat” selected for competing in the Indonesian Peat Prize, http://indonesianpeatprize.com/, 2016-2018.
• Principal Investigator of a research project funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, “grant 2017-65823" from 16-03-2017 to 16-02-2018, and linked to the Indonesian Peat Prize for the use of Airborne Electromagnetic to detect the thickness and volume of peatlands.
• Co-I for the Remote Sensing activities of the project "Combined use of remote sensing and in situ measurements for the calibration of transport and diffusion models in shallow coastal lagoons", University of Padova, 2014-2015 (Code CPDA133253/13).
• Co-PI of the project "The Digital Landscape: New technologies to visualize ancient landscapes" Bass Connection, Duke University, 2014-2016.

Studies and researches awarded by qualified public and private institutions

• "massa critica" of the PNRR project awarded by the Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica.  Silvestri is responsible of Task 2.1 of the Spoke DS of the “Partenariato Esteso RETURN", funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU -Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza – PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, Investimento 1.3 - D.D. 1243 2/8/2022, PE0000005 (Bando PNRR PE3 - Rischi Naturali e Antropici - Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca). 1 December 2022 – 30 November 2025. Whithin the SPOKE DS - CLIMATE SERVICES FOR RISK MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION, Silvestri is responsible of the Task 2.1 - Identification
  of impact-oriented indicators for relevant hazards and sectors in Italy (the Task2.1 aims at identifying and analyzing climate indicators of hazards relevant for the Italian territory and selection of those that will be included in a GIS-based inventory).
• From 1 October 2023 Silvestri is responsible of the Work Package of Remote Sensing and Photo-interpretation of the project “CARG – Carta Geologica Foglio Verona Est” (Foglio geologico alla scala 1:50.000 n. 124 “Verona Est” comprensivo del modello 3D) awarded by ISPRA to the research group of prof. Giulio Viola, Dep. BiGeA, Università di Bologna. Activities include: activity 1.7 - Aerial photos and satellite images acquisition/interpretation; activity 2.4 - Photo-interpretation and processing of remote sensing images.