This morning, the Aula Magna of the Rectorate of the University of Cagliari was the impressive setting for the La Marmora Award ceremony. Established in 1977 by the Rotary Club of Cagliari and now in its twenty-seventh edition, the award is annually given to entities, institutions, or non-Sardinian scholars who have contributed to the enhancement of Sardinia through their work.
This year, the award was given to the Institute of Radio Astronomy of Bologna for its crucial role in the design of the Sardinia Radio Telescope, a tool that, with its technological and scientific excellence, contributes to a positive image of Sardinia.
Receiving the award, introduced by the rector of the University of Cagliari, was Professor Luigina Feretti, the current Director of IRA and a prominent figure in Italian radio astronomy.
In her acceptance speech, Luigina briefly explained the SRT project and its history, first recounting how observational radio astronomy began in Italy with the construction of the Medicina and Noto telescopes in the 1980s, leading up to the design of SRT in the late 1990s.
Luigina then took the opportunity to invite Giancarlo Setti, the godfather of Italian radio astronomy, to speak and to acknowledge the important role played by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, the University of Cagliari, and especially the Astronomical Observatories of Cagliari and Arcetri.
An award to IRA of Bologna, therefore, but also an award that is virtually given to all those who, over the past twenty years, have worked and continue to work to make the Sardinia Radio Telescope a tool of world-class scientific excellence.
In the photo, from left: Angelo Poma, Nichi D’Amico, Luigina Feretti, Gabriele Giovannini, Giancarlo Setti, and Andrea Possenti.