Spotlight on the women in ERCOFTAC - Dr Marta Cianferra

This new series kicks off with an interview with Dr Marta Cianferra, Università degli Studi di Trieste.

Marta is a Co-ordinator of SIG5 - Environmental Fluid Mechanics - along with Dr Anouk Bomers.

What is your academic background?

I gained a Master’s Degree in Mathematics at the University of Rome – La Sapienza - followed by a PhD in Computational Fluid Dynamics at the University of Trieste.

What is your research specialism?

My research focuses on numerical modeling for hydroacoustics (flow generated noise) and multiphase flows. In practice, I try to understand if and where a model can improve, developing codes and then testing them by analysing the results.

What projects are you working on currently?

Now I’m involved in a project with Fincantieri (an Italian shipbuilding company), where we address numerically the noise emissions from a full-scale cavitating propeller.

What motivates you to work on fluid mechanics, or what do you find fascinating about it?

It's a huge field, bringing together disciplines related to logic and reasoning - mathematics, physics, and engineering - which I like. Having to solve tangible problems and reproduce real situations (fluid in motion that generates noise) with numerically solved equations is something that always surprises me. Fluid mechanics is a very beautiful part of physics, and it continually intrigues me.

What advice would you give to young women wanting to get into STEM?

Simply go for it because it is a place for everyone. And realize that having a mostly male audience at conferences, courses or workshops is being fixed, so enjoy the presence and encouragement of other women attending.

What are the benefits of being a member of ERCOFTAC?

The benefits are many. You can encounter people from different universities and research centers, exchange opinions, learn about their way of working and the topics on which they research. Scientific and human knowledge is expanded, enriched and diversified. One feels part of a community, and unity is always strength.

You can follow Marta on Linkedin.

Find out more about Marta’s work here.