Stefano Lo Russo

Stefano Lo Russo (born 15 October 1975) is an Italian academic and politician, incumbent mayor of Turin and of the Metropolitan City of Turin.

He was born and always lived in Turin, his father comes from the Apulia region and his mother from Villafranca Piemonte.

From 1991 to 2006 he has been actively part of Operazione Mato Grosso, an NGO that operates in cooperation projects in Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil).

From 1991 to 2004 he was federal soccer referee.

Geologist, graduated cum laude in Geological Sciences in 1999 at the University of Turin, he holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Polytechnic of Turin in 2004.

Married in 2004, divorced, he is father of Beatrice, born in 2007.

He entered the Turin city council for the first time in 2006, elected on the Ulivo list.

He was Assistant Professor from 2007 until 2014 and Associate Professor from 2014 until 2017.

He is author and co-author of several national and international peer-reviewed publications, and appears in various conference and symposium proceedings.

He is Editor of Geofluids (Hindawi-Wiley) and member of the Editorial Board of Environmental Earth Sciences (Springer).

Co-founder and board member of EST (Energy Security and Transition Lab) at the Energy Center of Polytechnic of Turin.

He is member of the IAH (International Association of Hydrogeologists), EGU (European Geosciences Union), AIGA (Italian Association of Applied Geology).

Member of the ASN National Scientific Qualification Committee 04/A3 of the Ministry of University and Research for the period 2021-2023.

His research activity focuses mainly on the study of low-enthalpy geothermal systems and the hydrogeological problems related to the protection of groundwater resources.

Other scientific interests regard the engineering geologic digital mapping, the rock-fall risk analysis and mitigation, the energy security and transition, the raw materials and the mining sustainability.

His teaching activity regards Engineering Geology, Hydrogeology, Petroleum and Mining Geology, Geothermal Energy, Land planning.

Visiting Professor at MGIMO University (Moscow, Russian Federation) Visiting Professor at Peter The Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation), at Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (Moscow, Russian Federation); invited Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Queensland (Brisbane, QLD, Australia), and visiting Scholar at the NCGRT - National Center for Groundwater Research and Training and Flinders University (Adelaide, South Australia).

Re-elected city councilor in 2011 with the Democratic Party, he then took on the role of group leader in the council; In 2013 he became Deputy Mayor for urban planning with the Mayor Piero Fassino.

Since 2015 he is the President of the Commission for Housing, Urban Planning and Public Procurement of the ANCI, the National Association of Italian Municipalities based in Rome.

In 2021, after winning the centre-left internal primary, he ranks as mayor of his city in view of the local elections.

After obtaining 43.9% in the first round, he was elected in the run-off on October 18 with 59.23% of the votes against the centre-right challenger Paolo Damilano.

He was inaugurated Mayor of Turin and of the Metropolitan City of Turin on October 27, 2021.

His program is based on seven mayor points including inclusive social growth, economic development, ecological transition, infrastructures, young people and culture.

He was among the 40 mayors selected in 2023 for the 7th edition of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, an intensive training and management program developed by the Business School of Harvard and by the Bloomberg Philanthropies.

He belongs to the group of the Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth Initiative selected by the OECD worldwide and aimed to form a coalition of willing leaders who have committed to tackling inequalities and promoting more inclusive economic growth in cities.

In 2016 he was re-elected for the third time but, thanks to the victory as Mayor of Chiara Appendino, a Five Star populist, he returned to the role of group leader of the Democratic Party and became leader of the opposition in the city council.

Full professor of Engineering geology at the Polytechnic of Turin, since 2017.