Congratulazioni, Dr. Mazzarella!

Daniele Mazzarella, PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Paolo Melchiorre (ICIQ), has virtually defended his PhD thesis entitled “C-C and C-B Bond Forming Strategies Driven by the Photoexcitation of Organocatalytic Intermediates” (assigned to the Department of Analytical and Organic Chemistry of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili) publicly on September 7th.

Dr. Mazzarella with the members of the evaluation committee

The members of the evaluation committee were: Prof. Maurizio Fagnoni (Università di Pavia), Dr. Efraím Reyes Martín (Universidad del Pais Vasco) and Prof. Marcos García Suero (ICIQ).

Dr. Mazzarella is from Foggia (Italy). He obtained a B.Sc. in Chemistry at Sapienza University of Rome in 2013 and an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry at University of Bologna in 2016. In November 2016, he began his PhD at ICIQ under the supervision of Prof. Melchiorre thanks to the funding received through the ITN Phototrain. He likes to read books, watch TV series and travel.

Why did you become a scientist?

Since I was a kid, I was fascinated by the process of research and discovery, and I really liked (and still like) to build things with LEGO: becoming an organic chemist was my only choice, I suppose.

From the lessons learnt at ICIQ (mentoring, training received), which one do you value the most?

I value the training I have received throughout the years here at ICIQ. First and foremost, from my supervisor and the members of the group. Additionally, the mindset of the ICIQ community puts you on track for success and pushes you to thrive.

What ICIQ moment you´ll never forget?

The first Christmas celebration I had here at ICIQ with a karaoke competition (2016), we had lots of fun! I will really miss the atmosphere at ICIQ, that feeling of being in an extremely prestigious center while in a positive environment, which allows you to express your true scientific potential while having fun.

What advice do you have for someone who’s starting their PhD now?

In my opinion, a PhD is a personal journey to become an adult and (almost) independent scientist. My advice is to live to the fullest these 3-4 years: study and talk with your colleagues and your supervisor, it’s the only way to learn.

Where are you going next? What will you do there?

I am going to the Netherlands to undertake postdoctoral studies. Specifically, I will work on new electrochemical processes.

If you were a piece of lab equipment, what would you be?

I have been told several times I am quite noisy in the laboratory… I suppose I would be a sonicator!