What is the first memory that comes to your mind related to the Faculty of Architecture of Pescara?

The Department of Geology was born from the activation in 1993 of the Faculty of Sciences with the Degree Course of Geological Sciences. The activation of this Faculty was an act of courage on my part, at the time Rector of D'Annunzio, as I activated it before receiving the authorization from the Ministry of Public Education. The then Minister Fontana, however, remedied the situation with a special decree (now by then) in the spring of 2014. This Faculty was to be housed in the former Aurum, at the time owned by the University, in order to have the possibility of development with the inclusion of other degree courses (Biological Sciences, Mathematical Sciences. Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, etc.). Unfortunately, the renovation project and the tender for its construction were blocked in November 1997, by whoever replaced me as Rector, a few days before the award of the tender. It was a serious damage to the development of our University. The Faculty of Science development project was aborted. It has never been understood why this operation is nothing short of nefarious. With the development of the degree course in Geological Sciences, the Department of Geology was launched after a few years

One of the phenomena that has affected the Faculty of Architecture of Pescara since its origins has been that of TREND. What is TREND? and what did it represent for you?

- The professors called to fill the teaching chairs of Geological Sciences were chosen on the basis of their qualities as researchers, and above all with the commitment to move to us and develop their research in D'Annunzio, in many cases of international importance. There have been numerous sectors in which the Department has produced research of absolute value. I recall some of them: Planetary Geology, Stratigraphic and Structural Geology, Applied Geology, Geomorphology, Subsoil Geology, Petrography and Mineralogy, Microaleontology, Hydrogeology, Volcanology.
Numerous National Congresses have been organized within the Department. I recall only a few: 1st National Congress of Applied Geology in 2003, National Congress of the Italian Society of Geology in 2006, National Congress of the FIST (Italian Federation of Earth Sciences) in 1998, etc.

What do you think you have left in this faculty?

It is a difficult question that precludes an equally difficult answer. It should be asked of the professors of the Department. However, I believe I was an example for my commitment to teaching and scientific research.

In his career he has faced different academic realities. Are there any distinctive features that can be recognized in the various universities? If yes, what are they?

I started my university career teaching first at the University of Perugia, then Ancona and finally D'Annunzio. Very different realities: Perugia a consolidated university but with a good propensity to develop new academic opportunities; Ancona a young University, younger than ours, with great fervor to grow rapidly and consolidate its structures, dialectical vivacity in the attribution of institutional roles; D'annunzio anchored to the territory with development difficulties linked to its offices distributed over three different provinces (Chieti, Pescara and up to 1993 also Teramo).

If you were to return to teaching in Pescara, what experiences would you try to introduce into the reality of the Department of Architecture?

Geology is a branch of scientific research that deals with our Planet Earth. The researches in this regard are exciting, they engage the researcher with passion. However, contact with reality is almost always lost and, above all, one is not attentive to the needs of society. It is also necessary to commit ourselves to respond to the new challenges of the development of society, such as the search for resources, environmental aspects. For the latter, I recall the great problem of global warming on our planet, in particular of climate defects, on which considerable economic commitments are played without adequate certainty of the hoped-for results.