2023 RILEM Colonnetti medallists

Each year, RILEM assigns up to two Gustavo Colonnetti Medals to researchers under 35 years old who have performed high level scientific research in the field of construction materials and structures. For this medal, already being a member of the Association is not a requirement.

For the 2023 medals, the medal jury was composed by Prof. Enrico Sassoni (University of Bologna, Italy) as TAC Chair, Prof. Alexandra Bertron (INSA Toulouse, France) as Editor-in-Chief of RILEM Technical Letters, Prof. Josée Duchesne (Université Laval, Canada) and Prof. Daniel Oliveira (University of Minho, Portugal) as Experts appointed by TAC.

The two 2023 Gustavo Colonnetti medals were awarded to Prof. Guoqing Geng and Dr. Franco Zunino.

Prof. Guoqing Geng is currently Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, after being awarded his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley and working as a postdoc at PSI in Switzerland. Thanks to his international experience, Prof. Geng has developed a unique approach involving highly sophisticated techniques, such as synchrotron facilities, to investigate the morphological, physical and crystallochemical properties of cement-based materials at the nano and micrometer scales. His experimental results have provided a long-awaited validation of computational modelling aimed at defining the structure of C-S-H and C-A-S-H. The high level and high impact of his research activities have granted Prof. Geng important awards and recognitions. Prof. Geng is also active in training young talents and several members of his research group have received awards and achievements. In recognition of his involvement in the scientific community, Prof. Geng has recently been appointed as RILEM regional convener of East Asia.

Dr. Franco Zunino is currently an independent scientist at ETH Zürich, after being awarded his PhD at EPFL in Switzerland. His research is mainly aimed at further elucidating the mechanisms of hydration and sulfate balance of blended cements, with the aim of developing innovative solutions for low-carbon, high-performance concrete. Dr. Zunino’s studies have resulted in numerous publications in collaboration with research groups in different countries. The high impact of his research results, testified by an impressive number of awards and prizes, has recently secured him a prestigious grant, thanks to which he will further pursue the route to “ultra-green concrete”, by a combination of blended cements with optimized admixtures. Dr. Zunino is also active in science dissemination through instructional videos and seminars, including the RILEM ROC&TOK series, and is involved in a panel of experts from the United Nations Environmental Protection Agency (UNEP).