We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Francesco Latterini from the Department of Ecology has been awarded a scholarship from the Minister of Science and Higher Education for outstanding young scientists. Dr. Latterini was awarded a scholarship from the Minister of Science in the field of agricultural sciences and the discipline of forest sciences.
Dr. Latterini's scientific activities include interdisciplinary research at the intersection of forest management and forest ecology. His research focuses on a holistic approach to modern sustainable forestry, seeking to provide knowledge on the effects of forest management activities and their impact on forest ecosystems, with a particular focus on topsoil. In this context, his research addresses two main areas: the assessment of forest soil disturbance caused by logging activities, and the application of modern digital technologies, such as GIS and GNSS, to develop best practices to reduce forest management-related disturbance. It is worth noting that much of Dr. Latterini's research has been carried out in an international environment, as evidenced by his collaboration with authors from many countries, including not only Poland and Italy, but also Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Greece and Iran.
Francesco Latterini received his doctoral degree on February 6, 2024 from the University of Tuscia (Viterbo, Italy). He began employment at our Institute under an employment contract on July 1, 2024. However, before that, for two years (01.07.2022-30.06.2024), he conducted research at the Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, within the framework of the project “Extending assessment of the environmental impacts to the forest ecosystem due to forest management: a comprehensive approach to enhance sustainable forestry in the context of climate change - AlmSusFor”, which he led. This project was funded by the Polish Academy of Sciences' PASIFIC fellowship program acquired with funds obtained from the Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action COFUND and the Ministry of Education and Science. Dr. Latterini's scientific supervisor within the PASIFIC program was Prof. Andrzej M. Jagodzinski (supervisor), and Dr. Eng. Pawel Horodecki, as “research buddy,” supported our young colleague in the implementation of the research.
In the twentieth edition of this scholarship program, the Minister of Science awarded a total of 228 scholarships to young and outstanding scientists who represent all 53 scientific and artistic disciplines. The scholarships were awarded for a period of three years, and their monthly amount is PLN 5,390.
Our sincere congratulations!