The centenary of the Engineering Department of the University of Messina was celebrated, with meetings and discussions in the main hall and institutional and professional presences and a large representation of students. The conference “1925-2025. One hundred years of Engineering at the University of Messina” concluded the initiatives planned to celebrate the centenary.
“The Department of Engineering – commented the rector, Prof. Giovanna Spatari – is truly extraordinary. Those who have populated it in these hundred years of progress have always demonstrated a fervent activity based on people, on ideas, on skills, on passion. It is a Department deeply rooted in the territory that expresses academic and research excellence by projecting its students into a series of international sporting activities and competitions. I am particularly proud of everything that our Engineering manages to express and I am happy with this anniversary. Long live the Department of Engineering”.
The conference was attended by, in addition to the rector, prof. Giovanna Spatari, the director of the Engineering Department, prof. Ernesto Cascone, the head of the Prefecture’s cabinet Michela Fabio, the deputy mayor Salvatore Mondello, the councilor of the Order of Engineers of Messina Claudio Mostaccio, the councilor of the Order of Architects of Messina Fabrizio Ciappina, Dr. Pietro Franza, President of Sicindustria Messina and representatives of the University governance.
“The Department – added Prof. Cascone – has decided to celebrate these one hundred years of Engineering in Messina with a series of events. The first involved the organization of a student contest to select a logo that could accompany the other subsequent initiatives. Among other things, we hosted a concert in the Rectorate Courtyard, with the participation of an orchestra of very young people, and also an exhibition on drawing at the Chiesa dei Catalani, coordinated together with the Messina Art Biennale. The two days of Conference concludes the centenary celebrations. The Engineering Department looks to the future represented by our students in whom we strongly believe and who will certainly be the protagonists of the engineering of the future”.
Furthermore, during the event, experts in University History and Design spoke, some of the most representative former teachers of the history of Engineering in Messina, emeritus professors and graduates who have achieved important professional goals thanks to the training obtained at the Peloritano University. In the rooms in front of the Engineering Aula Magna, some of the drawings already in the foreground during the exhibition at the Chiesa dei Catalani were exhibited, as well as the vehicles created by the UniMe sports teams, namely the “Guglielmino 2.0” boat of the Messina Energy Boat (MEB) group and the Stretto in Carena (SIC) motorbike.
Past, present and future: ALuMnime welcomed excellent alumni
During the final day there were numerous interventions that intertwined the past and future of this area. The director of the Department, Prof., welcomed us. Ernesto Cascone and the coordinator of the master’s degree course in Industrial Engineering, prof. Filippo Cucinotta.
The morning was inaugurated by the round table promoted by the ALuMnime association, which awarded the title of honorary member to three illustrious former students: Daniele Pantè, technical program manager of Stellantis; Antonio Parialò, director of works at Anas; Simone Pirrotta, project manager of the Italian Space Agency.
The president of ALuMnime prof. Francesco Rende underlined the importance of academic training and the professional and social bond with the territory, the consolidation of which is among the objectives of the association, also remembering Professor Eugenio Guglielmino, former director of the Department who died prematurely. The debate was moderated by Natalia La Rosa, vice-president of the association and journalist for Gazzetta del Sud, who focused on gender equality in STEM, between deep-rooted stereotypes that condition the presence of women and gaps to be filled from the first cycle of education. The invitation to participate in the association was also reiterated, aimed at consolidating the international community linked to the values of the University: membership open (and free) also for students.
Pantè spoke of autonomous driving as a reality that from 2040 could concern the whole of Europe with the presence of robo-taxis. Pirrotta described the space economy sector, which is facing a significant revaluation thanks to the focus on lunar exploration: in particular, ASI is focusing on ethical and environmental sustainability objectives. Parialò focused attention on infrastructure, underlining how Sicily is currently experiencing an unprecedented expansion phase, with investments that will lead to the reorganization of the island’s infrastructure system, reducing the gap and improving competitiveness. The three engineers gave important advice to young enthusiasts of this discipline, recalling how fundamental it is in everyday life. They also underlined for students during their training years the need to network and dialogue with the territory. Three members of the ALuMnime board of directors delivered the plaques: professor Gabriella Martino and lawyers Carlo Carrozza and Ernesto Marcianò.
Subsequently, several “lectures” were held regarding modernizations and projects: Franco Cavallaro on “Project for the construction of urban drainage in Maputo”; Antonino Floramo on “The seismic adaptation and modernization of the Navy Bases-Naval Station in the Mar Grande of Taranto”; Sergio Moscheo on “The Bologna tramway project”; Gabriele Fiumara and Giovanni Miceli on “The floating terminal for fast vehicles in the port of Messina and the state of consistency of the works and resistant materials of the Rubino dam”.