Maria Teresa started working in the field of nuclear fusion in 1992, at the ENEA research center in Frascati. She graduated in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Roma La Sapienza.
An expert in thermal-hydraulic models for accident analysis, with the increase of work for the NET project and then for ITER, she began a series of collaborations with universities (e.g. Pisa, Rome La Sapienza, Polytechnic of Turin, Rome Tor Vergata) and research centers (e.g. CRE-ENEL, ENEA-Bologna and ENEA-Casaccia, INL, CEA, UKAEA, and FZK (now KIT)), and as a fusion safety expert for some activities with the IAEA. She followed and supported the training of several young engineers and PhD students.
She collected data on operational experience at JET (relevant to maintenance and radioprotection) to support the licensing of ITER, and designed and operated experiments aimed at improving the modelling of open safety problems (e.g. dust transport in the vacuum vessel following an accident, such as a LOVA).
In recent years, she was the Project Leader of the DEMO Safety Work Package, including all the coordination work for the DEMO Design Gate Review of 2020.
After retiring, she continued to collaborate on a voluntary basis via ENEA, even during the last two years after discovering she was affected by an aggressive cancer.
Maria Teresa was an ideal model as a colleague and friend for many of us: professionalism, accuracy, unlimited availability and commitment, absolute integrity, humility, altruism, and an innate ability to work in a group and to motivate people—especially young people.
Always attentive to the overall vision of the work, with sometimes critical analysis, but always constructive towards the final goal of the project.
For all this, the memory of Maria Teresa will always remain alive in our work environments and in our hearts. Thank you, Maria Teresa.
EUROfusion conveys sincere condolences to all her family.