Florence Honours Its New Ambassadors with the 6th Edition of the Florence Ambassador Award

Florence, 4^th November 2022.  They distinguished themselves like a few others for their research, scientific publications, and career. They express the academic and congress sector excellence, whose charismatic voice has progressively become a reference within their scientific community, representing culture, institutions, and important public and private organisations. Today, inside the Salone dei Cinquecento at Palazzo Vecchio, in Florence, 15 personalities, officially declared “Florence Ambassadors”,  were awarded. Having now reached its sixth edition, this event is promoted by the Florence Municipality, in co-operation with Destination Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau, Firenze Fiera Congress and Exhibition Center and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts, and Agriculture.

It is a celebration of the congress sector, that has long been synonym with economic, social, and cultural benefits. A major event of the Florence Academic Leadership Program (Falp), the Florence Ambassador Award acknowledges the value of professionals able to increase the prestige of the city by improving its national and international attractiveness to acquire events and congresses, thus favouring the economic impact.

“We are extremely happy and satisfied with this event that acknowledges the main excellences of our territory – said Eugenio Giani, President of the Region of Tuscany. Each one of them, in their own field, was able to offer scientific and cultural contributions of absolute importance. Florence and Tuscany are pursuing a leading path in the field of international events and congresses, which is undoubtedly a prestige and an economic value. We are determined to keep on working in synergy with all the players across the territory, who will also be the promoters of these events in the next years”.

“We have now reached the sixth edition of an event that awards the talents of our territory, who distinguished themselves in various sector, particularly in the academic field – prominent personalities who had a crucial role in bringing very high-level congresses to our city – stated Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence. – We are increasingly focusing on the valorisation of Florence as a ‘city of knowledge’ and on its promotion as a reference tourist destination for all the fair and congress world. Through the board, it will be possible to concentrate the energies and work together to make Florence increasingly attractive from this point of view, by identifying the clusters on which to focus, in harmony with the vocations of our city. Florence is increasingly becoming a European capital – attentive to sustainability, contemporaneity, and boasting a great past but also carefully looking at future challenges”.

“University plays a major role in promoting our city all over the world. The commitment of professors and researchers translates into top-level scientific products and collaborations, that constantly increase the prestige and the international dimension of Florence. Once again, this year, we are proud of our contribution through ‘testimonials’ acknowledged everywhere for the quality and the commitment of their work for the University”, commented Alessandra Petrucci, Rector of the University of Florence.

Below, you will find the names of the winners:

– Stefano Mancuso, Head of LINV – Laboratorio di Neurobiologia Vegetale (Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology), University of Florence

– Agostino Monorchio, Full Professor of Electromagnetic Fields at the University of Pisa, IEEE Fellow

– Riccardo Saccardi, Director of SODc Cellular Therapies and Transfusion Medicine (Careggi University Hospital, Florence)

– Rino Rappuoli, Scientific Director, Biotecnopolo Foundation, Siena

– Maria Grazia Pizza, Preclinical Director at GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health, Siena

– Alberto Reatti, Associate Professor of the Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence

– Domenico D’Ugo, Director of UOC (Complex Operating Unit) General Surgery, University Polyclinic Foundation Gemelli, IRCCS – Rome; Director of the School of Specialization for General Surgery, UCSC – Rome; Federate of the American College of Surgeons, FACS; Past-President SICO, Società Italiana Chirurgia Oncologica (Italian Society of Surgical Oncology); President of ESS, the European Society of Surgical Oncology

– Andrea Minervini, Director of the Department of Oncologic, Minimally-Invasive Urology and Andrology, AOUC Florence

– Dario Manfellotto, National President of the Federation of Associations of Hospital Doctors on Internal Medicine (Fadoi)

– Anna Sapino, Scientific Director of Fondazione del Piemonte for Oncology FPO-IRCCS in Candiolo, Full Professor of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Turin, President of the Italian Society of Pathological Anatomy and Cytology SIAPeC-IAP
– Valentina Borgese, Head of Education and Planning for the Italian Society of Pathological Anatomy and Cytology SIAPeC-IAP

– Filippo Cavallo, Professor of Biomedical Robotic, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence

– Barbara Gualco, Professor at the Section of Medical-Forensic Sciences, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence

– Gianni Bartoli, Full Professor at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Florence

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
– Maria Cristina Dalla Villa, Founder of ENIC Meetings & Events

(F.D.)