Vincenzo SavonaVincenzo Savona studied physics in Pisa at the Scuola Normale Superiore and the University of Pisa, prior to completing his PhD at the EPFL's Institute of Theoretical Physics. Subsequently he did post-doctoral work, first at the EPFL and then in the physics department of the Humboldt University of Berlin. In 2002, he returned to the EPFL to create his own research group, receiving a "professeur boursier" fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation. In 2006, he was appointed tenure-track assistant professor at the EPFL and joined the NCCR for Quantum Photonics. In 2010 he was appointed associate professor. Currently he directs the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics of Nanosystems.
Gérard GremaudGérard Gremaud was born in Fribourg (Switzerland) in 1949. After classical studies at College St Michel in Fribourg, he received his diploma in physics engineering in 1974 and his PhD in 1981 at EPFL. From this date, he became responsible for research at EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne). He is then co-responsible for the Mechanical Spectroscopy Laboratory at the Institute of Physics of Complex Materials. In 2002, he became also chief of the service of physics teaching laboratories and physics classroom demonstrations of EPFL. In 2005, he obtained the title of Professor of EPFL. From 1976, he was teaching in the fields of acoustics, vibrations, metallurgical physics, thermodynamics, dislocation theory, metrology, physics laboratories, and of basic physics (mechanics, thermodynamics and introduction to quantum physics) and physics demonstrations. Since 2012, he is honorary professor of EPFL.
He was active in a variety of research fields : dislocation dynamics, structural phase transitions, mechanical and tribological properties at nanoscale, and mechanical properties of vibrated granular materials (mechanical-spectroscopy). In these fields, he has directed about ten PhD thesis. He is the author of numerous theoretical models which are largely cited. Specialized in acoustical spectroscopy techniques, he developped several original experimental techniques, such as the US-LF coupling technique (representative publications). His publications include about 130 research papers, 13 book chapters, 6 popular publications, 3 books as editor and 2 books as author.
In addition to about 40 invited lectures and conference talks in leading institutions worldwide, he has co-organized several international conferences and summer schools. Member of several scientific societies, he contributes also as referee for numerous scientific journals and several scientific research funding organisations. He was collaborating also during several years to two small companies in Switzerland, as administrator or president.
In 2011, Gérard Gremaud has been awarded the Zener prize and Zener Gold medal. This distinction recognizes important contributions in the field of Materials Science and Physics.
Alfredo PasquarelloAlfredo Pasquarello studied physics at the
Scuola Normale Superiore
of Pisa and at the University of Pisa, obtaining their respective degrees in 1986. He obtained a doctoral degree at the EPFL in 1991 with a thesis on
Multiphoton Transitions in Solids
. Then, he moved to Bell Laboratories at Murray Hill (New Jersey), where he carried out postdoctoral research on the magnetic properties of carbon fullerenes. In 1993, he joined the Institute for Numerical Research in the Physics of Materials (IRRMA), where his activity involved first-principles simulation methods. In 1998, he was awarded the EPFL Latsis Prize for his research work on disordered silica materials. Succeeding in grant programs of the Swiss National Science Foundation, he then set up his own research group at IRRMA. In July 2003, he is appointed Professor in Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics at EPFL. Currently, he leads the Chair of Atomic Scale Simulation.
