Rosaria Ester MUSUMECI

1. General information

Rosaria Ester Musumeci was born in Catania on the 16th of March 1975. She graduated cum laude in Civil Engineering (specialization in Hydraulics) at the University of Catania, in 1999.

She obtained her PhD in Hydraulic Engineering in 2003 at the Universities of Catania, Reggio Calabria, Palermo, Calabria, by discussing the thesis “The flow in the surf zone. A fully nonlinear Boussinesq model for breaking waves”. During her PhD, she was Visiting Scholar at the Center for Applied Coastal Research of the University of Delaware (USA), from November 2000 up to May 2002.

From 2^nd of March 2020, she is Associate Professor of Hydraulics at the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture of the University of Catania. Before, she was Assistant Professor of Hydraulics (2012-2020) and post-doc of Hydraulics (2003-2011) at the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture of the University of Catania.

In January 2020 she gained the National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor.

Since 2012, she is Scientific Responsible of the Hydraulic Laboratory of the University of Catania.

From November 2020, she was appointed Coordinator of the MSc in Water and Transportation Civil Engineering of the University of Catania.

She serves as reviewers for a number of ISI-Scopus peer-review scientific journals (Coastal Engineering; Ocean Engineering; Journal of Hydraulic Research; Journal of Waterways Ports Coastal and Ocean Engineering; Advances in Water Resources; Journal of Hydrology; Journal of Coastal Research; etc.). Additionally, she serves as reviewer of several Marie Curie Research Fellowship and MIUR funded research projects.

She has been chair/convener of several traditional sessions, PICO sessions, virtual session at many international and national conferences (ICCE, EGU, IDRA, etc)

On the 10th of October 2018, she has been key-note speaker at the international conference IEEE Metrology for the Sea 2018 (Italy). Key-note lecture titled “Measurement needs in the field of coastal engineering at lab scale”.

In 2019-2020, she has been Guest-Editor of the Special Issue “Hydro-Morphodynamics of Coastal Areas” del Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. From 2020, she is Topic Editor of the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering.

 

2. Research activity

The research activities of R.E. Musumeci have been focused mainly: (i) on the experimental and numerical investigation of the interaction between sea waves, currents, movable beds and coastal structures; (ii) development of innovative measurement techniques in the presence of sandy bottoms and coastal structures; (iii) climate change mitigation and adaptation, also through marine renewable. Recently she has focused her research on vulnerability assessment of strategic assets (e.g. harbors, levee systems, cultural heritage) to weather-induced extreme events, also considering the deteriorated status and mechanism of damage progression of structures.

The aforementioned activities have been carried out thanks to a number of international cooperation with researchers of the University of Delaware (USA), Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (Spain), Technical University of Denmark (Denmark), University of Nottingham (UK), DHI (Denmark), and of several Italian Universities (Genova, Roma 3, Marche, Reggio Calabria, Palermo, Messina), just to name a few.

 

2. Bibliometric parameters

The bibliometric parameters calculated on the 19th of March 2022 (source Scopus) are:

- IF publication no. during the last 10 years: 27 (reference ASN 08/A1 full professor median = 12)

- no. of total citations during the last 15 years: 364 (reference ASN 08/A1 full professor median = 197)

- h-index of the last 15 years: 10 (reference ASN 08/A1 full professor median = 7)

 

2.2 Scientific responsibility and participation to research projects

Since 2021, she is the scientific responsible of the:

• European project “REST-COAST Large scale RESToration of COASTal ecosystems through rivers to sea connectivity” (H2020-LC-GD-2020 Proposal number: 101037097) for the University of Catania,
• Italia-Tunisia project “EauSIRIS - Nouvelle Stratégie de gestion des Eaux, des Sols et Implémentation des technologies vertes pour une agRIculture réSiliente aux changements climatique”.

Since 2020, she is part of the Steering Committee of the Interreg Italia-Malta project “BIOBLU Robotic BIOremediation for coastal debris in BLUE Flag beach and in a Maritime Protected Area” for the University of Catania.

Since 2019, she is a member of the Scientific Board of the PNR project “eWAS – an Early Warning System for Cultural Heritage”, funded by the National Plan for Research of the Italian Ministry for University and Research.

In 2017, R.E. Musumeci has been scientific responsible of the research unit of Catania of the EC funded Transnational Access- Hydralab + “ICODEP: Impact of Changing fOreshore on flood DEfence Performance” at the Large Wave Flume of the University of Hannover (DE), which involved  also University of Nottingham (UK), UNESCO Institute for Water Education, University of New Castle (UK), Flanders Hydraulik Research (Belgium), University of Genoa, and University of Rome  La Sapienza.

In 2017, she has been scientific responsible of the research unit of Catania of the EC funded Transnational Access- Hydralab + “Waves plus currents INteracting at a right anGle over rough bedS (WINGS)” at the Shallow Water Basin of DHI (DK), which involved also the University of Messina, NTNU-Norwegian University of Science and Technology, CNR-ISMAR, Mediterranean University  of Reggio Calabria, University of Genoa, and University College London (UK).

From 2012 up to 2016, she was scientific responsible of the research unit of Catania of the project PRIN 2010-2011 “HYDROCAR - Hydroelectric energy from osmotic pressure in coastal environments”.

In 2008, she was scientific responsible of a Research Project funded by the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia of the Spanish Government in the framework of the “Programa de Acceso a la Instalation Cientifica Tecnologica Singular Canal d’Investigació i Experimentació Maritima de la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Laboratori d’Enginyeria Maritima, primo periodo 2008”, titled “Development of Innovative Optical MEasurement techniques for sanDy bottom Evolution analysis in wet and dry areas to be used in large wave flume facilities (DIOMEDE)”.

Moreover, she has been actively involved in several research projects funded by EU (LIFE17 project SIMETORes; HYDRALAB+, Horizon 2020; NEWS, Interreg V-A Italia-Malta; HYDRALAB IV - 7th FP; HYDRALAB III – 6th FP; SANDPIT – 5th FP; SEDMOC - 4th FP); and by national funding agencies (PNR, PRIN 2008; PRIN 2005, PRIN 2002, PRIN 2000; CNR-GNDCI)

 

3. Teaching activity

She presently lectures on “Port and Coastal Engineering” to the MSc students in Hydraulic and Transportation Engineering, on “Hydraulics” to the undergraduate students in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and “Hydraulics and Hydraulic Constructions” to the MSc students in Building Engineering and Architecture (University of Catania).

In the past, she has lectured on “Coastal Engineering” to the MSc students in Hydraulic and Transportation Engineering (2016-2019, University of Catania); on “Hydraulics of Natural Systems” to the MSc students in Environmental Engineering (2012-2015); on “Hydraulics and Hydraulic Constructions” to the 5-years MSc students in Construction Engineering-Architecture (2012-2013); and on “Littoral dynamics and coastal defense” to the MSc students in Environmental Engineering (2004-2008).

Since 2017, she is member of the Committee of the PhD program in Assessment and mitigation of urban and regional risks of the University of Catania.

She is presently advisor of a PhD thesis on flood control through reservoir management and co-advisor of one on the analysis of river morphodynamics at flood-event scale.

She has been advisor and co-advisor of the following PhD thesis: (i) “Shoreline modeling by means of a Boussinesq model for breaking waves” [by Carlo Lo Re , PhD in Hydraulic Engineering at the University of Palermo (XXI cycle)]; (ii) “A two-dimensional Boussinesq-type models for breaking waves” [by Antonino Viviano, PhD in Maritime Engineering of the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria (XXI cycle)]; (iii) “A hybrid finite-difference rotational Boussinesq-type model of surf-zone hydrodynamics” [by Benjamin Tatlock, PhD programme of the University of Nottingham (UK)]. Dr. Benjamin Tatlock was Visiting Scholar at the University of Catania, under the supervisions of R.E. Musumeci; (iv) “Biota impact on levee stability: eco-hydraulic evaluation of levee failure mechanisms” [by Valeria Pennisi , PhD in Assessment and mitigation of urban and regional risks at the University of Catania (XXXII cycle)]; (v) “Nearshore wave-current interaction. Hydrodynamic effects of rough and sloping beds” [by Massimiliano Marino, PhD in Assessment and mitigation of urban and regional risks at the University of Catania (XXXIII cycle)]; (vi) “Urban flooding and climate change: management strategies based on green roofs” [by Paola Nanni, PhD in Assessment and mitigation of urban and regional risks at the University of Catania (XXXIV cycle)]; (vii) “Upgrade of harbor rubble mound breakwaters in the context of climate change” [by Martina Stagnitti, PhD in Assessment and mitigation of urban and regional risks at the University of Catania (XXXIV cycle)].

She has been advisor of more than 70 undergraduate and MSc thesis in the field of Hydraulics. Moreover she has been tutor of a number of stages and internships, both pre- and post-lauream, carried out at Public Bodies and private companies, as well as internships spent at the Hydraulic Laboratory of the University of Catania.

 

4. Applied research and knowledge/technology transfer activitites

Since 2021, she is co-responsible for the University of Catania of two collaboration agreements with the Water District Authority of the Sicilian Region on “Hydrological and hydraulic studies for the identification of river strips, for the identification of NWRM (Natural Water Retention Measures) and for the definition of Flood Control Reservoir Management Plans” and on “Dynamics of the coasts, for the updating of the Flood Risk Management Pland of the Sicilian region and for the assessment of the sediment requirements for the restoration of the equilibrium conditions of the coasts: definition of models for the assessment of floodable areas from wave motion along the Sicilian coasts according to EU Directive 2007/60”.

Since 2018, she is co-responsible for the University of Catania of a collaboration agreement with the Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mar di Sicilia Orientale titled “Physical and numerical modelling of the stability and hydraulic performances of the main breakwater of the Port of Catania”.

In 2020, she has been responsible of the applied research project “Physical modelling for the optimization of the trunk section of the upgrading intervention of the breakwater of the Port of Termini Imerese”, funded by the contractor EURECO s.r.l.

In 2012, she was scientific responsible for the University of Catania of the applied research project “Physical modelling of the stability of the armour layer of the breakwater of Scalo Galera in Malfa (Eolian Islands, Italy)”, funded by the Sicilian Region.

She is constantly involved in several applied research projects on the physical and numerical modelling on hydraulic and coastal risk assessment.

She is a member of the Editorial Board of the journal “Tecnica e Ricostruzione” of the Order of Engineers of the Catania Province.

Finally, she is involved in the activities of the Simeto River Agreement (made up by ten municipalities with a total population of about 100.000; the Participated Presidium, which brings together about 200 grassroot associations; and the University of Catania), which is a participated plan for the local development of the Simeto Valley , inspired by the values of environmental sustainability and solidarity economy.