Member Spotlight: Meet Giorgia Purcaro

What excites you about your job as an analytical chemistry professor?

What I love about my job is that it is largely diverse. On the research side I have the freedom to explore the topics that I wish to, to keep learning every single day. Moreover, analytical chemistry is so vast that a life is not enough to learn it all, already every single technique needs years to master it properly. Furthermore, it is highly rewarding when, with my research group, we are able to optimize new methods that can serve a large audience of scientists more efficiently and sustainably compared to the traditional methods or when we can add a piece of information to challenging topics.

On the teaching side, the possibility to pass on my passion and knowledge to the next generation of scientists is the most rewarding of all the daily efforts in the laboratory. Dealing daily with young students, although sometimes frustrating, is a continuous challenge that requires constantly reinventing yourself to attract their interest, to keep their attention, and not lose them on the way. It is, therefore, a continuous injection of vitality.

What is the biggest challenge you see in analytical sciences today?

I think that one of the biggest challenges today in analytical science is to not forget the fundamentals. The instruments are now a days so powerful, sophisticated, and fully automated. On one side, this is a great advantage, on the other side it may lead people to blindly rely on the provided report without any critical analysis. This situation can lead to big blunders.

What was the most challenging issue that you personally faced in your career?

Learning to say “no”, and it still is. Balancing working and private life was and is an ongoing challenge. Work may never end if you are not able to set a point. The problem is that often you are dealing with so many commitments and bureaucratic issues that cannot be postponed that you are forced to set a point when you are finally doing what you love the most.

Is there anything you are looking for to in the coming months (years)?

I am looking forward to the AOCS Annual Meeting and Expo in Denver this year. It is going to be back in person and I am really excited to finally meet everyone back face-to-face. I have found this year particularly challenging to put together the scientific program due to the travel restrictions that many companies and institutions are facing, but I am sure that the energy and the excitement of being back in person will pay back all the efforts. Being on the remote side in the hybrid version of last year has left me a veil of disappointment that I wish to completely remove this year.

How long have you been an AOCS member?

I first joined AOCS in 2015 on the occasion of my first AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo.

How has AOCS helped during your career?

AOCS is a great opportunity for networking and a rich source of scientific information for the daily work in the lab. The AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo is a great venue to present our research, to receive fruitful feedback, and to gather plenty of new ideas and energy to bring back to the laboratory. Moreover, the multidisciplinary approach of the meeting allows us to expand the boundaries of our research and our collaborative network. AOCS is really a family. I have met brilliant scientists that not only give me inspiration, but also friendly confrontation in a cozy and friendly atmosphere.

What do you like to do outside of work/AOCS?

There is plenty of activities that I love to do during my limited free time, surely first of all it is spend time teaching board and card games to my 6 years old little boy. Besides, I always find the time to practice some yoga at least three times per week before starting my day, it gives me plenty of positive energy. I also love skiing, travelling, and tasting good wines.