The Rector

Davide Bassi has been Rector of the University of Trento since 1st November 2004.

He graduated in physics at  the University of Genoa in 1971 and in 1974 he moved to Trento where he launched the Atomic and molecular laboratory. He became Full Professor in 1987 and now teaches experimental physics. He was Head of the physics department and of the Nucleo di valutazione (evaluation commission) from 1997 to 2001, as well as Dean of the Faculty of Science from 2001 to 2004. He also took part in many national projects in connection with the evaluation matters.

His research activity  concentrated on general and electronic physics. Part of his scientific research was carried out at the Universities of Innsbruck, North-Paris, South-Paris, Waterloo (Canada) and Barcelona. He has been the coordinator of many scientific and technological research programmes both at the national and European level.

His main study and research areas are:

• elementary interactions of hydrogen in the gas phase;
• spectroscopy of atoms, molecules and clusters;
• reaction dynamics of ion/neutral systems;
• ion and neutral beams;
• ultra high vacuum and mass spectrometry technologies.

During the last three decades, he has been working in the field of industrial applications of high-vacuum and trace gas detection technologies. He has been consultant of many private enterprises (Carlo Erba Strumentazione, now Thermo Finnigan, PHI Physical Electronics, Electrolux, Whirlpool, MEMC Electronic Materials, etc.). As Rector of the University of Trento, he has actively stimulated the creation of start-up and spin-off initiatives, and participated in the development of long-term joint programmes with private partners such as Microsoft Research.

He has been involved in many research programmes supported by the European Commission. In particular, he was in charge of the coordination of the MCInet European network on "Generation, stability and reaction dynamics of Multiply-Charged Ions" (2000-2004). 

In 2006 he received the SASP Award - the Erwin Schroedinger Gold Medal - for his contribution to ion-neutral collision studies.

An updated list of  publications can be found under Polaris or on the Rector's personal website.