This year too, the University of Basilicata will host the “Chemistry Festival”, the event organized by the Lucanian University and the regional section of the Italian Chemical Society, and aimed at high school students in the region. The 14th edition of the Festival will take place in Potenza on Friday 17 May 2024 from 9 am in the Aula Magna of the Macchia Romana Campus. The Festival program includes a meeting with the chemist and writer Marco Malvaldi, followed by the conferences “Chemistry at the crime scene” held by prof. Antonio Potenza, and “Chemistry and the scents of wine”, by Prof. Sandra Belviso. The works created by the students who participated in the “Scientific Chemistry Degrees” project will then be presented, as will short videos for the “Sci Social Contest – Chemistry around us” competition for schools. The day will end with the award ceremony of the competition winners. “This initiative of the Festival, in its second edition – explained the organizers – had a huge response among Lucanian students, with the participation of numerous schools and thousands of views on Instagram for the competing videos”. The event will end with the award ceremony of the winners of the regional phase of the 2024 Chemistry Games, a national competition included by the Ministry of Education among the initiatives to enhance excellence and aimed at secondary school students. The 2024 edition of the Games saw the participation of approximately 33 thousand students across Italy, coming from high schools and technical and professional institutes. In Basilicata, around 500 students from the provinces of Potenza and Matera participated in the first phase, 90 of whom were admitted to the regional phase: the winners will compete in the national final from 24 to 26 May in Fiesole (Florence). The national “champions” will make up the Italian team that will participate in the International Championships, organized this year in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
The following students emerged winners of the regional final of the Chemistry Games:
CLASS A (students of the first two years of upper secondary school)
1. Annamaria Matera (IIS “E. Fermi”, Policoro)
2. Fabio Raimondo (IIS “E. Fermi”, Policoro)
3. Michele Laterza (IIS “GB Pentasuglia”, Matera)
CLASS B (three-year students not included in class C)
1. Giuseppe Mascitti (“G. Galilei” Scientific High School, Potenza)
2. Mauro Alberto Avigliano (IIS “G. Solimene”, Lavello)
3. Vincenzo Santarsiero (Liceo Scientifico “G. Galilei”, Potenza)
CLASS C (three-year students of technical institutes, technological sector, chemistry, materials and biotechnology)
- Rocco Doti (IIS “GB Pentasuglia”, Matera)
- Vincenzo Ragone (IIS “GB Pentasuglia”, Matera)
- Martina Sacco (IIS “GB Pentasuglia”, Matera)
The following students were the winners of the “SCI SOCIAL CONTEST – Chemistry Around Us” competition:
High school
1. Class 3 B (IIS “G. Peano”, Marsico Nuovo)
2. Class 4 E (Hotel Institute “U. Di Pasca”, Potenza)
3. ex-aequo Marica Damiano (IIS “Einstein – De Lorenzo”, Potenza)
3. ex-aequo Gaia Calabrese (Liceo Classico “QO Flacco”, Potenza)
Middle School
1. Antonella Furiati (IC “Torraca Bonaventura”, Potenza)
2. Emanuele Accogli (IC “M. Pagano”, Bella)
3. ex-aequo Giulia Vaccaro (IC “M. Pagano”, Bella)
3. ex-aequo Cecilia Stolfi (IC “M. Pagano”, Bella)
The organizing committee:
Stefano Superchi, Giuliana Bianco, Angela De Bonis, Filomena Lelario, Luciano D’Alessio, Irene Donnoli, Giuseppe Anzilotta, Maria Funicello.
