Sandra Savaglio

Sandra Savaglio is an Italian astrophysicist whose research focuses on the "young universe: cosmic chemical evolution, distant galaxies, intergalactic and interstellar medium, and galaxies hosting the most energetic events in the universe: the gamma-ray bursts and the super luminous supernovae.

She embarked on tracing the origins of the galaxy.

She graduated summa cum laude in physics in 1991 from University of Calabria and received her Ph.D. from the University of Calabria in Italy.

She attended University of Calabria and received her B.S. in Physics in 1991.

In fact Savaglio is now a professor University of Calabria in the same department she received her Ph.D.

Savaglio research has centered around the young universe: distant galaxies and cosmic chemical evolution, GRB (gamma-ray bursts) and super luminous supernovae.

In university Savaglio worked with Riccardo Giacconi, between 1996 and 1998, who would win the Physics Nobel Prize in 2002.

From there, after a brief post-doc in France, Savaglio moved on to Johns Hopkins University from September 2001 to February 2006, where she taught courses and worked with Prof. Karl Glazebrook.

She taught courses at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

She also worked with Space Telescope Science Institute while in Baltimore.

Carbone Vincenzo and Savaglio wrote a paper in 2001 on sports records.

The study shows "that the mean speed as a function of race time can be described by two scaling laws that have a breakpoint at about 150–170 seconds (corresponding to the ~1,000 m race). We interpret this as being the transition time between anaerobic and aerobic energy expenditure by athletes." Savaglio been active in soccer and competitive swimming.

Savaglio has also written two books: Tutto l'universo per chi ha poco spazio-tempo (publisher: Mondadori), and with Mario Caligiuri Senza attendere (publisher: by Rubbettino).

Both are only in Italian.

In January 2004 Savaglio was on the cover of Time magazine, as a symbol of many of Europe's scientists moving to the United States.

Besides working in the U.S., Savaglio has worked at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany.

After studying and working outside Italy for 23 years, she returned to Calabria and is a professor in astrophysics at the University of Calabria (Arcavacata di Rende, Italy).

In 2006 Savaglio moved to Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics where she was a fellow and senior research scientist.

She created the SQL database for Gamma-Ray Burst Host Studies (GHostS), the largest public database dedicated to galaxies hosting gamma-ray burst events.

Savaglio was active in the "Gemini Deep Deep Survey" which returned results on the metallicity of early galaxies and the evolution of spherical galaxies and why many appear old.

Savaglio has been active in her community since she has returned to Southern Italy.

Savaglio has promoted both science and women in science.

She has discussed both topics in several interviews and also visited local high schools.

Being asked interviews why she came back to Italy, she responded that yes Italy does not support the sciences at the level many other countries do, however she stresses the culture, social interactions, and food of Southern Italy.

One of the reasons for her return to Italy from Germany was the price of pumpkin flowers, which on returning she can get from uncle's garden. She is also happy to finally eat true tomatoes; in Germany the tomatoes would make my father turn in his grave.

She likes to make a few of the recipes of my grandmother, that give me a sense of the my origin: for example the 'mustazzuoli'.

A disadvantage was leaving her partner, Uta Grothkopf, in Germany and the need for Uta or Sandra to commute to see each.

Also because Italy does not recognize Civil Unions (Eingetragene Partnerschaft) if Savaglio dies in Italy Uta would not have a right to her pension."

Upon returning to Calabria, she received the Casato Prime Donne Award on September 14, 2014 in Montalcino, Italy. She also received in 2008 the Pythagoras Award, Italy.

Savaglio was born in Cosenza, Calabria, and grew up in Marano Marchesato, a small town nearby, Italy.

The daughter of a postal worker and a midwife, she is the youngest of four children.

Her passion for the stars started when she was 17 years old after she read Exploring the Earth and the Cosmos by Isaac Asimov.

"My father is one of my greatest fans. My parents, with me, my sister and my brothers, have never set limits to our aspirations."

She enjoyed physics in high school and university.