...We are a group of scientists from the University of Milan dedicated to research on polymers, both basic and applied, to teaching and scientific communication in its broadest terms. We aim to extend the scope of our scientific communication to both science professionals and society at large. Here we begin to introduce ourselves to those who do not yet know us. Furthermore, we would like to mention the colleagues and friends, who have supported us since the beginning of the Milan Polymer Days initiative, either as members of the scientific committee or members of the award committees or as representatives of the Italian Society of Chemistry or the National Research Council, without forgetting our smart Ph.D. students who helped us organize the congress and bring it to a successful conclusion...

Elisabetta Ranucci

In 2001, the research area of polymer chemistry at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Milan was consolidated with the appointment of Elisabetta Ranucci as Associate Professor, a position that led her to become Full Professor in 2011, coinciding with the retirement of Paolo Ferruti. Ranucci moved to Milan after a significant period of study and research at the Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan in Stockholm, where she expanded her scientific expertise before resuming her long-standing collaboration with Professor Ferruti. She holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Pisa and had previously carried out research activities at the University of Brescia. In addition to her extensive academic career in Italy and her prolonged stay in Sweden, Ranucci undertook research placements at leading scientific institutions in the United Kingdom and the United States, further strengthening her international perspective in the field of polymeric materials. Elisabetta has developed solid expertise in the design of multifunctional polymers through her early collaboration with Paolo Ferruti. Her research experience in Sweden, focused on the chemical modification of natural polymers, bioerodible polymers, materials derived from renewable resources, and polymer-based composites, significantly broadened her scientific horizons and laid the groundwork for the research activities she would later pursue at the University of Milan. During her time in Milan, Elisabetta has acted as coordinator or partner in numerous national and international collaborative research projects, in addition to participating in several industrial initiatives. Her main research interests include multifunctional composite resins for the removal of inorganic pollutants from water, flame-retardant nanocomposites with both elastomeric and plastomeric matrices, and hydrogels for tissue engineering applications. Together with Paolo Ferruti, she has continued research on oligomers with controlled functionality obtained through radical polymerization. In the educational field, Ranucci laid the foundations for macromolecular chemistry teaching, both theoretical and laboratory-based, within both the bachelor’s and the master’s degree programs in Industrial Chemistry, and, more recently, the master’s degree program in Chemical Sciences. Since 2017, Elisabetta has promoted and organized the annual editions of the “Milan Polymer Days” international congress, which address a broad range of topics in polymer science and technology. These conferences have become a well-established reference point for the international polymer research community.

…..turning to the woman behind the scenes

• Asked about her passions, she mentions travels, cooking, family, and pets.
• Asked what she is most proud of in her career, she points first to her contribution to expanding polymer education within the chemistry degree programs at the University of Milan, including the creation of the master's degree in industrial chemistry taught entirely in English. Equally rewarding, she adds, has been sharing her passion for chemistry with high school students and teachers.
• And what does she enjoy most? While laboratory work remains deeply fulfilling, she says that organizing and taking part in the Milan Polymer Days conferences and activities is just as exciting and a great deal of fun.

Paolo Ferruti

Paolo Maria Ferruti is a former full professor of polymer chemistry. He is an internationally recognized chemist and a leading figure in polymer science, who began his activity at the University of Milan in 1995 as full professor of Industrial Chemistry. Prior to his appointment at the Department of Chemistry, Paolo had held professorships at several Italian universities, building a distinguished academic career grounded in functional polymer research. Ferruti graduated in Chemistry at the University of Pavia, as a member of the prestigious Almo Collegio Borromeo. In 1964, following his early research experience, he was invited by Giulio Natta, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (1963), to serve as assistant to the Chair of Industrial Chemistry at the Polytechnic University of Milan, marking the beginning of a formative scientific collaboration. From 1968 to 1970, he pursued postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, working with Melvin Calvin, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (1961). Ferruti subsequently held academic positions at the Polytechnic University of Milan and, as Full Professor of Industrial Chemistry, at the Universities of Naples and Bologna, before serving as Full Professor of Applied Chemistry at the University of Brescia (1984–1995). Throughout his career, Paolo promoted an interdisciplinary research approach, fostering collaborative projects and contributing to the development of an integrated scientific school. His research focused on the design and synthesis of innovative polymer families, including copolyesters, poly-Mannich bases, polyhydrazides, polyketones, and polyenamines. He is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of polyamidoamines, a class of functional polymers widely investigated for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering, gene therapy, and bioactive materials with antiviral and antimalarial properties. Paolo’s scientific achievements attracted substantial national and international funding and were accompanied by a strong commitment to technology transfer, resulting in the co-invention of more than fifty patents in functional and bio-oriented polymer materials, many developed during his years in Milan. His research significantly enhanced his international standing, leading to numerous invited lectures and leadership roles in major scientific conferences. Among these, his appointment as President of the 36th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the Controlled Release Society (Copenhagen, 2009) stands as a symbolic culmination of his outstanding scientific career.

….the man behind the scenes:

Paolo has a vast humanistic culture and can translate Latin and ancient Greek, recite texts of literary masterpieces such as the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri and others. At the same time, he is fond of trekking in the Alps, the passion that he inherited from his Piedmont ancestry. He has many naturalistic interests and is an expert on lepidoptera, on which he has written popular articles. He has indeed gathered a huge collection of moths and butterflies. He is an expert mushroom picker and connoisseur of Piedmontese wines. In addition, he is also an expert in calligraphy. In conclusion, in addition to the official data, there is much more to know about Paolo's interests and personality.

Jenny Alongi

Jenny Alongi began her academic career at the University of Milan in 2015 and has served as Associate Professor of Industrial Chemistry since 2023. She earned her PhD in Chemical Sciences from the University of Genoa and subsequently built a solid research trajectory across several academic institutions, working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Genoa (2003–2006) and at the Polytechnic University of Turin (2007–2015), before joining the University of Milan on a permanent basis. She has also carried out research stays at leading international institutions in France, the United Kingdom, and China, experiences that have significantly shaped her scientific profile and international perspective. Her expertise lies in materials chemistry and polymer science; in particular, during her time at the Polytechnic University of Turin, within the research school of Professor Giovanni Camino, she developed strong competence in flame-retardant systems for plastics. Jenny’s research activity has mainly focused on polymer degradation and thermo-oxidative stability, as well as on the design and synthesis of functional polymeric materials, with special emphasis on eco-friendly flame retardants and smart coatings. She has been successful in securing European research funding, notably within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programs, leading projects on high-performance, bio-inspired polymer coatings for flame-retardant applications. In addition to her research work, she is actively involved in the editorial field, serving on the advisory boards of several international journals and acting as Editor of the Elsevier journal Polymer Degradation and Stability. She has also contributed to the development of innovative teaching courses for the Master’s degree program in Sustainable Industrial Chemistry and the Bachelor’s degree program in Cultural Heritage at the University of Milan.