Previous Institutions: Alma Mater University of Bologna
What are you studying: Ph.D in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
Howdy! My name is Gaetano and I am from a very small village near Napoli, Italy, which you may know for the best pizza in the world or for their football club, depending on your priorities.
I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Department at Rice, where I work on numerical models and experiments to better understand volcanic eruptions.
I have been in Houston for 3 and a half years and I am a living encyclopedia when it comes to coffeeshops and restaurants around town. I also love watching baseball, and I constantly embarrass myself trying to learn how to play it.
Fun Fact:
I prefer American coffee to Italian coffee...
Favorite thing about Rice:
Rice has one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen, and having so much green and open areas literally in my working space is invaluable for me.
Favorite thing about Houston:
The diversity of people in Houston is unmatched by any other city I have visited or lived it. This makes it incredibly easy to feel at home and to be unapologetically yourself.
Also, the Astros.
Why did you decide to go to grad school?
My goal during my years as an undergrad has always been to do scientific research. Grad school allows me to achieve that goal, while still giving me the freedom to learn new topics and skills and the ability to apply them in the future to potentially very diverse fields.