LECTURERS PROFILES

PAOLA BRANDUARDI

Paola Branduardi graduated cum Laude in Biological Sciences at the University of Milano, Italy, and received a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Milano, with an internship at the Vienna BioCenter, working on the yeast cell cycle progression. She moved in 2000 at the University of Milano Bicocca as Post-Doc, where she started to work on Industrial Biotechnology where she is now full professor in Chemistry of Fermentation and Industrial Microbiology. Her research aims at the development of sustainable microbial-based bioprocesses, mainly valorizing residual biomasses as in the concept of biorefineries. She published over 60 peer-reviewed papers, 7 book chapters, and she is (co-)inventor of 10 patent applications, 6 of which obtained the PCT status, and 5 subsequently licensed. She is co-founder and president of Galatea BioTech srl, a University spin-off company active in the production of bio-based biodegradable materials. She acts as coordinator of the PhD programme in Converging Technologies for Biomolecular Systems, as member of the teaching board of the Master in Circular Bioeconomy “Biocirce”, and as beneficiary of past and present MSCA ITN programmes.

BONIFACE KYALO 

Br. Boniface kyalo born 1964. Kenyan citizen. Background education sustainable agriculture certificate, diploma in organic agriculture, BA in education, MA in theology, experience in curriculum development,. Taught in secondary schools, BAraka agriculture college, deputy principal of Baraka agriculture college, currently General farm manager of Baraka agriculture college molo,kenya. Member of slow food kenya molo convivium. 

RAFFAELE MATACENA

PhD URBEUR in  Urban Studies, Department of Sociology. My studies deal with small scale farming characteristics and obstacles to economic sustainability; alternative food networks’ shortcomings and potentialities in managing short food chains; farming and urban food policies; food economy; rural sociology; urban-rural linkages; food consumption patterns and trends; food activism; food sovereignty.

ANTONY MAJANGA

Antony Majanga Buyagane. Year born 1974, Diploma in Organic farming and Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture for Rural Development, Training students  in Organic farming, Crop production, farm management, Beekeeping and applied management.

DIANA CERINI

Diana Cerini is Professor of Comparative Law at the School of Law of Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca (Italy), where she is in charge of the courses of “Comparative private law”, and “Business and consumer contracts in global perspective”. Her academic role includes the coordination of international activities for the School of Law and the Program of Legal Clinics. She is investigating since long time in the field of animal law, specifically concerning animals in the private law perspective, insurance and animal law; animals in relation to fashion law. She has also developed researches and tough animal law in foreign universities. She has been consultant for Italian parliamentary members for some proposal of reforms of laws concerning animal protection.

DAURO MATTIA ZOCCHI

Dauro Mattia Zocchi is a Phd  student in Eco-gastronomy, education and society at the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo and Research fellow for the Saas project. He has a background in Business administration and Gastronomy. His main research interests are food biocultural diversity and gastronomic heritage promotion in Developing countries. He carried out several research in Africa and Latin America aimed at documenting and promoting local food products. Currently he works on a research project aimed at analyzing the impacts of international valorization projects for endangered food products in Kenya, focusing in the activities carried out by Slow Food in the Nakuru County.

EDOARDO OCCA

I hold a degree in Theoretical Philisophy and after that I turned to Anthropology and I got a Master in Applied Anthropology in Bicocca and then again I studied Medical Anthropology as well. In 2004 I married Laura and we started working with NGOs in Tanzania and Central African Republic. In 2008 Erasmo was born, our first wonderful boy. In 2010 we went back to Tanzania (in Iringa region) working with Doctors with Africa CUAMM, leading Italian NGO for health cooperation, where we lived and worked until…5 days ago (In the meantime, I conducted field research in Ethiopia and Sudan as well). In 2011 Catherine Maria arrived, our second wonderful girl. I deal with Community Health and Health System Strengthening, moving from hundreds of villages in the savannah up to policy making roundtables at ministry level with international donors and others stakeholders. Since 2013 up to November 2019 I coordinated the projects supported by different partners, mainly UNICEF and DFID, working on Nutrition, Maternal and Newborn Health, Infectious diseases. After some years in Africa, I decided it was time to go back to my beloved Anthropology, and that is why I just began my second year of PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology at Universita’ of Milano Bicocca. My research is based on understanding cultural barriers and social structures leading to such high rates of malnutrition among children, in an area that export foods in other regions of Tanzania and abroad as well…

MICHELE FONTEFRANCESCO

Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco (Alessandria, 1983) is a social anthropologist specialised in economic anthropology. He completed his bachelor and master studies at the University of Eastern Piedmont and doctoral studies at Durham University in 2012. Since 2012, he has taught and conducted research at University of Gastronomic Sciences. 

VALENTINA GRITTI

My name is Valentina Gritti, I am 26 and I have been working since January 2018 as global coordinator of the Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN).  My background is in Gastronomy (bachelor at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy) and Food Technology (European Master in Food Studies at Wageningen University, NL, Cork University, Ireland, Agro-paris-tech, Paris and Lund University, Sweden). Both my bachelor and master's thesis were focusing on sensory analysis. I am originally from Italy, but currently living in the Netherlands, where the headquarters of SFYN are located. Parallele to my work at SFYN, I am carrying out my own project "Vale.gastronome", dealing with food tastings, consultancy and events. I like challenges, especially when it comes to sport. Last year I took part in the "Giro di SFYN" road-cycling tour from Maastricht to Turin and at the moment I am training to run the Rotterdam's full Marathon in April 2020.

SIMONA SACCHI

Simona Sacchi is Associate Professor of Social psychology at the University of Milano-Bicocca where she teaches “Social Cognition” (MSc) and  “Social Psychology of Communication” (bachelor's degree). As attested by her publications, her research interests primarily focus on social cognition, psychology of morality and information search process. More recently, she started to investigate how social-cognitive processes are likely to affect pro-environmental behaviors and individuals' perception of environmental issues.

JOHN KARIUKI

Born in Molo, Kenya, in 1987, John Kariuki Mwangi is vice president of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, coordinator of Slow Food’s projects in Kenya and Slow Food councilor for East Africa. After graduating from the University of Gastronomic Sciences (2010) in Pollenzo, Italy, he returned to Kenya to coordinate the creation of over 400 agroecological food gardens, launch numerous Presidia (project that sustain quality production at risk of extinction, protect unique regions and ecosystems, recover traditional processing methods, safeguard native breeds and local plant varieties), and develop the Slow Food Youth Network.

GABRIELE VOLPATO

Research Fellow AT unisg Anthropology, Human Ecology of Natural and Subsistence Resource Use and Management, Food Systems, Biocultural Diversity, Migrant and Refugee Studies, Pastoral Systems, Human-Animal Relationships, Social-Ecological Systems and Sustainability.