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OAE Center Italy

OAE Center Italy logo

Hosted by the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica

About

I-OAE (Italy-Office of Astronomy for Education) is the first IAU OAE Center to provide long-term support to the goals of the IAU OAE. OARoma hosts its Headquarters.

The I-OAE focuses on three respects:

  • I-OAE emphasizes child-centered learning methodologies for children in primary schools (5-12 years, U12) worldwide
  • In the Mediterranean region, I-OAE helps to support and organize IAU OAE activities
  • I-OAE also provides an experience-based consultancy for the optimization (implementation and dissemination) of non-English based versions of the open access platform astroEDU

I-OAE is supported by a network formed by Inaf (head), SAIt, Università di Tor Vergata and formalized by a Memorandum of Understanding between the IAU, the OAE and INAF.

You can contact the OAE Center Italy by emailing oae​atinaf.it

You can also visit the external webpage of the OAE Center Italy

Staff list

Stefano Sandrelli
Manager, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF - National Institute for Astrophysics, Italy
stefano.sandrelli​atinaf.it


Studied physics at University of Pisa, got a PhD at Uni Bologna and a Master in science communication at Sissa, Trieste. Since 1999, he works at Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Milano, now part of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). He worked as a scientific journalist for the European Space Agency (1999-2015). He was head of the INAF Outreach and Education Office (2008-10; 2016-20) and of the Italian Astronomical Olympiad Organizing Committee (2009-15).

As a writer, he published several books for kids and the general public. In 2010 he won an Italian Andersen Prize (Feltrinelli Kids, best series). In 2017 he won the “G. Dosi” Prize with Nello spazio con Samantha, written with the ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.

For the International Astronomical Union (IAU) he is Italy NAEC since 2020 and Italy NOC since 2016 (vice-NOC from 2021).
Director of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education Italy Center since 2020, he loves cronopios and all those people who cough, stumble and regularly lose their bus.

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Sara Ricciardi
Deputy Manager/Technology and Innovation in Education Officer, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF OAS/Game Science Research Center
sara.ricciardi​atinaf.it


She has been working in Italy and in California on data analysis and interpretation for CMB experiments (from Boomerang to Planck). Back in Italy she supported the development of technological projects in the microwave and  began to work with schools and teachers mainly from kindergarten to middle school with a particular interest for social and gender inclusion in Astrophysics and STEM disciplines. She is the deputy of OAE Italy, she runs teacher training and co-designing projects with teachers with a constructivist approach.

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Livia Giacomini
Livia Giacomini
astroEDU Implementation and Consultancy Officer, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF
livia.giacomini​atinaf.it


I am an astrophysicist and scientific journalist working at INAF (National Institute for Astrophysics) where I am chief editor of EduINAF, the official online magazine dedicated to education and outreach and EPO manager of the roman IAPS Institute. Since 2021, I also am editor of the Italian version of AstroEdu and Officer for the OAE Center Italy.
Giuliana Giobbi
Giuliana Giobbi
Multi-language Organisational Secretariat, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF-OAR
giuliana.giobbi​atinaf.it


Giuliana Giobbi obtained a master degree in Foreign Languages (main language: English) at the University La Sapienza in Roma and a PhD in English and comparative Literature at the University of Glasgow (UK). Since 1993, Giuliana has been working at INAF Astronomical Observatory of Roma, as an officer responsible for the Scientific Secretariat and is a member of the local Outreach group DivA (Astronomiy Outreach), established at OAR in 2000. Her main duties include the management of National and International events inside and outside her Institute, the organization of public events and activities, communication and realtions with both schools and the general public, the translations of texts, mainly from/into English. Giuliana joined the OAE Italian Centre a few months ago.

Recently, Giuliana translated into English, among the others, Stefano Ardito’s “Gran Sasso and Science” (2017), and the essay by Pietro Greco “Galileo, the Tuscan artist” (2018). Giuliana is happily collaborating to the English, German and French version of the activites of innovative teaching of Astronomy in schools being made available in the new INAF website “Play” (play.inaf.it). Starting from next month, I will join the NOC Italy office for IAU as a support to the new Italian NOC Caterina Noccato.
Stefania Varano
Stefania Varano
Equal Opportunity and Access to Culture Officer, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF
stefania.varano​atinaf.it


I am a (radio)astronomer working at the Institute of Radio Astronomy, which is part of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics. From 2003 to 2005, I attended a Master in Science Communication and the post-grad School for Teacher Training. I am the Public Outreach and Education Officer at the Institute of Radio Astronomy in Bologna since 2005.
I am coordinating the INAF group for Inclusion in Outreach and Education and I am the officer for “equity in access to culture” in the Italian Centre of the Office of Astronomy for Education since 2020. I do research in the field of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and design educational activities and exhibits following its principles: one of these, “Sense the Universe”, has been included in the Inspiring Stars international exhibition.
Caterina Boccato
Caterina Boccato
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF
caterina.boccato​atinaf.it


Graduated in Astronomy at the University of Padova in 1996, she is the head of the Central Public Outreach and Education Office for the National Institute for Astrophysics - INAF. Staff in INAF since 1999, she has been mainly engaged in outreach activities such as the planning, implementation and management of educational exhibitions and public events for the dissemination and popularization of astrophysics; the management of media relations; the development of material that supports the popularization of astronomy and astrophysical research, such as brochures, pamphlets, websites, posters and display panels for exhibitions.
For International Astronomical Union - IAU - she is the National Outreach Coordinator - NOC - and also an Organizing Committee Elected Member of Commission C2 Communicating Astronomy with the Public.
For the European Astrobiology Institute (EAI) - she is the leader of the Outreach, media and Corporate Identity Working Group.
Giuseppe Bono
Giuseppe Bono
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
Based at Department of Physics University of Rome Tor Vergata
bono​atroma2.infn.it


Interested in stellar Astrophysics, Galactic Astronomy, risolve stellar populations, cosmic distance scale and chemical evolution, evolutionary and pulsation moels. Author of more than 250 refereed papers.
Silvia Casu
Silvia Casu
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
silvia.casu​atinaf.it
Francesco D'Alessio
Francesco D'Alessio
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma
francesco.dalessio​atinaf.it


Graduated in physics
Specialized in systems control, telescope management, optical and infrared cameras and spectrometers.
Since 1999 he has been involved in dissemination as Head of Activities for the Astornomical Observatory of Rome. He has created exhibitions, exhibits and organized public events throughout Italy.
Elisa Di Carlo
Elisa Di Carlo
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
elisa.dicarlo​atinaf.it
Mayssa El Yazidi
Mayssa El Yazidi
Volunteer Collaborator, OAE Center Italy
Based at Center for Studies and Activities for Space "G. Colombo"- CISAS, University of Padova
mayssa.elyazidi​atunipd.it


Mayssa El Yazidi is a Ph.D. student in Sciences, technologies, and measurements for space at the Center for Studies and Activities for Space "G. Colombo"- CISAS, University of Padova (Italy). Her interest focuses on geological mapping and the study of the tectonic features on Mars and Mercury. She is involved in the activities of the SIMBIOSYS-Bepi-Colombo instrument for Mercury exploration, on the ESA space mission and her research has been supported by European Union’s Horizon 2020 under the grant agreement N°776276-PLANMAP.

Mayssa is the National Outreach Coordinator for Tunisia (NOC) in the OAO/IAU office since 2018, an active C2 IAU associate member, and the founder of the Tunisian Association of Young Astronomers (TAYA)
Gianluigi Filippelli
Gianluigi Filippelli
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF
gianluigi.filippelli​atinaf.it


Studied physics and got a PhD at University of Calabria and a Master in e-learning at University of Firenze. Now I work at Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Milano, now part of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF).
I am part of the editorial staff (chief editor, administration, code developing) of the magazine EduINAF, and of the editorial staff for italian version of astroEdu.
Riccardo Leoni
Riccardo Leoni
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
riccardo.leoni​atinaf.it


I'm a technician and i have been working at Astronomical Observatory of Rome since 2000. Between 2000 and 2008 i was involved in NEO's research, in infrared observations and data reduction at the Campo Imperatore Observatory.
I'm a technician and i have been working at Astronomical Observatory of Rome since 2000. Between 2000 and 2008 i was involved in NEO's research, in infrared observations and data reduction at the Campo Imperatore Observatory. Currently I’m mainly engaged in public outreach and education at INAF.
Gloria Tirabassi
Gloria Tirabassi
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
gloria.tirabassi​atinaf.it
Rachele Toniolo
Rachele Toniolo
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
Based at University of Bologna,
r.toniolo​atira.inaf.it


Rachele Toniolo is a PhD student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Bologna, Italy. Her project concerns the development of new teaching resources on radioastronomy, exploiting the main innovative teaching methods, in particular game-based learning.
Rosa Valiante
Rosa Valiante
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Rome
rosa.valiante​atinaf.it


Rosa Valiante studied Astrophysics at the University of Trieste (Italy) and got her PhD at the University of Florence (Italy) working at the Observatory of Arcetri in Florence.

From 2011 to 2018 she got a series of post-doctoral fellowship positions at INAF- Observatory of Rome and she now works as a researcher in the same institute.

As a writer, she is a co-author of a book for kids, in Italian, entitled "Apri gli occhi al cielo" edited by Mondadori and translated in Spanish, "Alla' Arriba", edited by geoPlanets.

She is a member of the OAE Italy since 2021.
Alessandra Zanazzi
Alessandra Zanazzi
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
Based at Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
alessandra.zanazzi​atinaf.it


Alessandra Zanazzi has a Master Degree in (Astro)Physics. Since 1996 she has been working in the field of education and communication in Astronomy and Science. She is currently a staff researcher at INAF (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri) in Education and Outreach and previously, for fourteen years, she has worked for Fondazione IDIS – Città della Scienza (the main Italian Science Centre), where she was Responsible for planetarium and education and communication activities in Astronomy.
Anita Zanella
Anita Zanella
Team Member, OAE Center Italy
Based at INAF
anita.zanella​atinaf.it


I am an astronomer, researcher at the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (Italy) since 2019.
I obtained my PhD at the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (France) in 2016. From 2016 to 2019 I worked as a research fellow at the European Southern Observatory (Germany) and supported the operations of the Very Large Telescope (Chile) as a night astronomer.
I study how galaxies form in the early Universe and how they evolve. I am also passionate about outreach and education, with a particular interest on inclusion and using sound to make astronomy more accessible.

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