Opening night of the SBF Fall Meeting features awards for physicist Adalberto Fazzio and LNNano researcher Gabriel Ravanhani Schleder
From left to right: Rodrigo Capaz, president of the Brazilian Physics Society (SBF) and director of the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano); Gabriel Ravanhani Schleder, researcher from CNPEM; Adalberto Fazzio, Ilum director, at ceremony held on May 19. Photo: João Carlos de Souza.
On May 19, the director of Ilum, the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) School of Science, Adalberto Fazzio, was awarded the Joaquim da Costa Ribeiro Prize at the opening ceremony of the Fall Meeting of the Brazilian Physics Society (SBF), held on the campus of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), in the city of Florianópolis. Fazzio was awarded the prize for the excellence of his scientific work, his pioneering role in the field of Condensed Matter Physics in Brazil, and his significant contribution to the progress of the country’s scientific institutions. Gabriel Ravanhani Schleder, a researcher at CNPEM, also won the José Leite Lopes Award for Best Thesis on the night.
The ceremony was held on May 19, coinciding with Physics Day in Brazil. The fact was highlighted by the president of the SBF and director of the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano), Rodrigo Capaz, in his opening speech, who also spoke about the importance of training new teachers and the need to encourage women in scientific fields. “Physics teaching today is essentially the same as it was when I studied physics. Updating is vitally needed to make the teaching of the subject more attractive to students, including, for example, aspects linked to innovation. In addition, it is crucial to promote the training of physics teachers to make the teaching of science in secondary schools more attractive. Finally, it is also important to encourage the participation of women in physics and science from elementary school onwards,” says Capaz.
The prize, awarded annually by the SBF, is a tribute to the scientist Joaquim da Costa Ribeiro, discoverer of the thermoelectric effect in 1944 and one of the founders of the CNPq. The recipients are researchers who have stood out throughout their careers for their significant contributions to Condensed Matter Physics and Materials in Brazil.
About the award winner
Adalberto Fazzio, a full professor at USP’s Institute of Physics, was born in the city of Sorocaba, state of São Paulo. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in physics from the University of Brasília (UnB) and a doctorate in Physics from the University of São Paulo (USP) in 1978. In 1985, he became a full professor at USP’s Physics Institute and, since 1991, he has been a full professor at the institution. After retiring, he acted as director of the Brazilian Nanotechnology National Laboratory (LNNano/CNPEM) and currently heads the Ilum School of Science (CNPEM).
Fazzio worked as a visiting researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (USA) and the Fritz-Häber-Institut (Berlin, Germany). He is a CNPq I-A researcher. He has also held the positions of secretary, secretary-general, vice-president, and president of the SBF. In addition, Fazzio was head of the Department of Materials Physics and Mechanics, deputy director, and director of USP’s Physics Institute. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC). In 2006, he was awarded the Brazilian Order of Scientific Merit.
In 2008, Fazzio was appointed by the Minister of Education as a member of the Superior Council of Capes and rector of the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), where he was also director of the Center for Natural and Human Sciences. In 2010, he was promoted to the Grand Cross Class in the Brazilian National Order of Scientific Merit. In March 2011, Fazzio was appointed by the Minister of Science and Technology as the general coordinator for Micro and Nanotechnologies at the MCT’s Secretariat for Technological Development and Innovation and a special advisor to the minister. In July he was appointed by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation to the post of Deputy Secretary of the MCTI’s Secretariat for Technological Development and Innovation, which he held until November 1, 2013. In October 2013, he was elected a Fellow of TWAS (The World Academy of Sciences). In 2015, he took on the role of Undersecretary for Coordination of Research Units at MCTI.
His field of work has always been condensed matter physics, focusing mainly on understanding the structural, magnetic, and transport properties of materials. Fazzio is currently working on studying the properties of nanomaterials and topological insulators. With a curriculum comprising more than 300 publications in specialized journals, Fazzio has played a crucial role in advancing knowledge in the field of materials science. His vast experience is also reflected in his active participation in the supervision of Masters and PhD students, significantly contributing to the training of new researchers and qualified professionals.
His research group has worked on developing computational methods and algorithms applied to materials, seeking to understand growth processes, atomic diffusion, interfaces, extensive defects, and external field actions (electric field, magnetic field, pressures, and temperatures).
Professor José Leite Lopes Award
The opening night of the EOSBF also featured the awarding of the Professor José Leite Lopes Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis of 2022 to Gabriel Ravanhani Schleder, a researcher in LNNano’s Theory and Data Science department, for his study “Machine Learning for Materials Science: 2D Materials Discovery and Design”, supervised by Adalberto Fazzio.
The work used what is known as machine learning, a leading field in artificial intelligence studies, as a strategy for identifying patterns and combining large data volumes for materials science. From materials simulations, for example, machine learning can help researchers discover and design new 2D materials for different applications in less time and with more precision. Read more.
About CNPEM
A sophisticated and vibrant environment for research and development, unique in Brazil compared to few other scientific centers in the world, the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is a private non-profit organization under the supervision of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI). The Center operates four National Laboratories and is home to the most complex project in Brazilian science – Sirius – one of the most advanced synchrotron light sources in the world. CNPEM gathers highly specialized multi-thematic teams, globally competitive laboratory infrastructures open to the scientific community, strategic research lines, innovative projects in partnership with the productive sector, and the training of researchers and students. The Center is an environment driven by research into solutions impacting the fields of Health, Energy, as well as Renewable Materials, Agri-environment, and Quantum Technologies. The CNPEM 360 platform allows visitors to explore, in a virtual and immersive way, the environments of all the laboratories installed in Campinas (SP) and access information on the work carried out and the resources offered to the scientific community and companies. From 2022, supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC), CNPEM has expanded its activities by opening the Ilum School of Science. The interdisciplinary degree course in Science, Technology, and Innovation embraces innovative proposals aimed at offering free, full-time training of excellence and immersion in CNPEM’s research environment.
