Thesis Proposal

Alessia Mezzadrelli and Susana Plascencia unveiled their thesis proposals

/in , /by

The arrival of November not only marked the onset of a new month but also heralded a significant double academic milestone for the NANO-GLASS project. In detail, two of its early-stage researchers (ESRs), Alessia Mezzadrelli and Susana Plascencia, stepped into the spotlight to unveil their respective thesis proposals. Specifically, these presentations took place on November 3rd and November 6th, respectively. Moreover, the presentations served as a public platform, thereby providing these two young researchers with an opportunity to share their in-depth research and meticulously crafted plans to successfully achieve their individual research projects (IRP) goals

Thesis Proposal Defenses at ICFO

Alessia Mezzadrelli’s presentation, entitled “Optical surface for display with application-specific functionalities” began with an overview of existing work on anti-microbial surfaces for touch-screen displays. She then detailed the specific objectives of her thesis project, which focuses on developing new solutions for the display industry. “The thesis proposal serves as a helpful initial check-point in the PhD program, allowing me to acquire awareness of what I have already accomplished and which other goals I can achieve,” Alessia Mezzadrelli stated once she finished her presentation.

Following her presentation, a panel of experts, including Prof. Dr. Robert Sewell, Head of Academic Affairs at ICFO; Prof. Dr. Majid Ebrahim-Zadeh, ICREA professor at ICFO; and Dr. Ilaria Mannelli, adjunct lecturer in Chemistry at UPC, posed questions to Mezzadrelli, focusing on the strategy to achieve her research goals.

On the other hand, Susana Plascencia’s presentation took place on November 6th. Similar to Alessia, she explained the approach of her IRP, entitled “Experimental investigation of quantum memories based on rare-earth-doped materials” emphasizing her project’s objectives and the approach to achieve them. Robert Sewell chaired the panel that evaluated Susana’s thesis proposal. Dr. Valerio Pruneri, ICREA Professor at ICFO, and Dr. Nicolas Sangouard, Professor at Quantum Information Theory group at CEA (France), were the other members of the panel. “Now that I’ve made my thesis proposal, I can move forward and focus on the experimental tasks I must complete towards achieving the targeted objectives”, said Susana, whose thesis is directed by Dr. Hugues de Riedmatten, ICREA Professor at ICFO.

Thesis Proposals Propel NANOGLASS Project Forward

These presentations are crucial milestones in their respective PhD journeys. ” With these new thesis proposals, Alessia and Susana take an important step toward their PhD degree and, at the same time, the project NANOGLASS shows significant results on glass materials and devices for information display and connectivity”, commented Valerio Pruneri.

All four ESRs of the NANO-GLASS project have successfully submitted their thesis proposals, thereby enabling them to advance in their respective research projects. Notably, Iliyan Karadzhov led the way as the first ESR within the project to formally present his thesis proposal in March 2023.