Explore the profiles of each Advisory Board Member. Discover the people behind our vision, and learn more about the contributions they make to shape the future of STE(A)M Learning Ecologies.
Letizia Jaccheri
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) – Norway Professor at the Department of Computer Science
Letizia Jaccheri (PhD from Politecnico di Torino, Italy) is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Ms Jaccheri has been teaching courses in software engineering at various levels and acted as one of the independent directors of Reply S.p.A., the largest Italian IT company with 9059 employees. From 2013 to 2017 she was department head for the Computer Science department at NTNU. She is ACM Distinguished speaker. Jaccheri participates and leads several research projects at National and International level. She is Action chair of COST Action CA19122 European Network for gender Balance in Informatics. Jaccheri has plans to continue to contribute to address the issue of diversity in computer science.
Manuela Lavezzari
Lenovo Italia – Italy Communication and Change management Specialist
Manuela Lavezzari is the EMEA Marketing Director at Lenovo since 2016, currently holding a specific position in education. With +23 years in ICT, she has held roles from marketing strategy development, brand management, digital communication. Ms Lavezzari has been recognized in various lists of innovative women in the digital economy, including Forbes Italia’s 100 Winning Women in 2018 and StartupItalia’s Unstoppable Women since 2016, whose aim is highlighting women able to drive innovation in Italy. At Lenovo, she is part of the EMEA D&I board, consistently advocating for women’s empowerment. Personally, Ms Lavezzari aspires to contribute to D&I policies leaving future generations a world with greater opportunities.
Mariangela Giunti
Gestore Servizi Energetici (GSE) – Italy Communication and Change management Specialist
Mariangela Giunti, employed at GSE – Gestore dei Servizi Energetici, is an integral part of the Italian entity dedicated to managing energy services. GSE’s mission, under Ms Giunti’s guidance, revolves around promoting and facilitating the transition to a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. With a focus on providing expertise, incentives, and resources, Ms Giunti actively encourages the adoption of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency practices, and sustainable technologies. Since 2015, Mariangela Giunti has been committed to educating students in Italian schools, contributing significantly to the nation’s progress in achieving its energy and environmental goals.
Samuel Branco
School Externato Cooperativo Da Benedita – Portugal Scientix Ambassador (Secondary school teacher)
Samuel Branco, a Master in Educational Sciences with a specialization in Educational Informatics, serves as a distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the Externato Cooperativo da Benedita (Portugal). As a seasoned educator, he imparts knowledge as a teacher trainer in Educational Technologies and Didactics. The teaching methodology that he most applies is the project-based methodology, challenging his students to develop robotic projects that solve real problems existing in the school context. Beyond the classroom, Mr Branco is the dynamic Coordinator of the Programming and Robotics Club, fostering innovation. Recognized for his commitment to advancing digital literacy, he is an Ambassador Scientix, an EU Code Week Leading Teacher, and a Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert. Mr Branco passionately combines education and technology, shaping the future of learning.
Veronica Ward
School Dublin 7 Educate Together – Ireland Scientix Ambassador (Primary school teacher)
Veronica Ward is a primary school teacher with over 20 years experience in education. She has a passion for inquiry based learning (IBL), an approach she has adopted throughout her teaching career. She also lectures in the area of IBL in early childhood education and for more than 10 years she has worked on the development and facilitation of continuous professional development courses in the area of STE(A)M. Most recently as part of the Digital Schools Excellence Fund, (an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills Ireland to promote the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment) she has been lead coordinator for a cluster of schools implementing a range of collaborative STE(A)M projects.
