Hi, I’m Serena Radini.  I hold a master degree in Civil Engineering and am now a PhD student of Environmental Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Marche (UNIVPM- Università Politecnica delle Marche). I am a member of the R&D&I Lab for Water and Waste Environmental Engineering (WWEELAB), which tries to optimise the sustainability, circularity and resilience of urban and industrial water cycles.

What do you do on DWC?

As part of my PhD, I mainly work on DWC. I mainly focus on risk assessment and management for integrated urban wastewater treatment and reuse systems. A crucial aspect of my PhD work is the digital transition of this risk assessment and management, since knowledge-based and data-driven innovative solutions can really improve water management and risk minimisation in (near) real time. Working on DWC has been a great opportunity for me.  I am enthusiastic to have been a part of such a challenging project and inspiring consortium from the very beginning.

What is the most interesting thing you learned working on DWC?

DWC made me more aware of the complexities of applying innovations to existing systems. On the one hand, we should always champion innovation.  On the other hand though, these innovations need to be integrated gradually if we want them to be truly effective

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope that in five years I will be still working on innovation projects and research activities. I would like to hone my skills in the water sector, sustainable technologies and circular economy.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

When I was growing up, I never had a very precise idea of what I wanted to be. And I guess I am still growing, now more than ever! I have always loved nature and the environment though, so I followed my instinct in my studies and when looking for work experiences.

If DWC held a party, which song would you request from the DJ?

I would like to request Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk. I feel very inspired by that song. The lyrics are simple, but its message is forceful: “Work it harder make it better. Do it faster, makes us stronger. More than ever hour after hour. Work is never over”. I always feel very motivated when I listen to it. And the music is very catchy too!