MARGARITA CIMADEVILA (President, project coordination and promotion) was born in Sada, Coruña, Spain. She has a degree in Chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela and worked as a science teacher in Secondary Schools of Galicia for thirty years, nine of them as the school director. As an artist she has been interested in the relation between Science and Art and has found her artistic expression in series of paintings on subjects such physics (especially particle physics at CERN), chemistry, women in science, gender equality and eco-art.
Her artistic work has a strong didactic aspect. She has organized activities such as courses and designed and realized didactic materials about Science and Art. She has participated in many equality-related events and is member of the Association of Women Researchers and Technologists AMIT in Spain. Her exhibitions have been shown in museums, universities and institutions in Europe, America and China.
MARILENA STREIT-BIANCHI (Vice-president, curator and educational activities), born in Rome, Italy, has been working for 41 years at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland, where she carried out research on biomedical application of High Energy Radiations and studies on the effects of low dose radiations. She has been the co-author and author of approximately 40 publications published in international scientific journals, of a chapter of a book and of several reports. During her career she supervised many students and occupied managerial positions. She has been a senior honorary staff member of CERN, responsible for the project on Oral History of the Organization.
She has been the curator of international exhibitions and is active in educational activities for teachers. For Nairucu Arts, a non-profit association in Mozambique, she has been responsible for communication, exhibitions and the editing of several books illustrated with Indian ink drawings by the nationally recognised Nampula artist Justino António Cardoso.
She has curated exhibitions such as “Plastic Fishes” and “Mare Plasticum”, participated in educational activities carried out by ARSCIENCIA and has co-edited several books on topics such as physics, art, education and the environment. The promotion to young generations of multicompetence education, of environmental awareness as well as the importance of linking Art with Science in books, talks and exhibitions are at the core of her activities.
WOLFGANG TRETTNAK (Secretary) was born in Graz, Austria, in 1962. He received a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Graz, worked in applied scientific research on sensors and biosensors for many years and published a number of scientific articles. He set up as free-lance artist in 2002, and his work has been shown in Europe, the US and China. In his work, which comprises painting, object art and installations, he links Science with Art on subjects such as bionics, electronics, luminescence and environmental topics, the latter with a special consideration of the threats to marine life. In addition to his artistic activity, he has been working in the field of intelectual property and patents for several years.
JOSÉ MANUEL FACAL DÍAZ (Treasurer) was born in Carballo, Coruña, Spain. He has a degree in Chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela and worked until October 2020 as a teacher at the High School IES Lamas de Abade in Santiago de Compostela, where he was the head of the Department of Physics and Chemistry. In addition he obtained an Advanced Studies Grade in 2005 for a work about Science History. For 7 years he was the president of ENCIGA, the Galician science teacher association, and for 11 years he was the vice president of a Galician cinema association. Amongst the many activities, which he has organized or co-organized in the past years, are lectures, scientific congresses and international courses, in which were involved science teachers. In one of his favorite activities he dedicates himself to fighting against so-called “pseudo sciences” like homeopathy or acupuncture, which have resulted in a series of public events organized by the “sceptics in the pub”.
AMAIA ALCALDE GIMILIO (Community Manager) was born in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. She studied Industrial Technical Engineering in Industrial Electronics, and later extended her studies in Industrial Engineering Organization. She also has a Master of Education and worked in a recycling company in the Port of Bilbao. Being passionate about music she studied musical theory and accordion for 8 years, was a member of the Gospel Bilbao choir and is now singing in the Vocalisse choir of A Coruña.
She is currently working as a teacher of mathematics and science in a secondary school, trying to awaken in the young students the love towards science and art.
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SUSANA MATAIX graduated at the University of Barcelona in Mathematical Sciences and has a Master in Business Administration from the Instituto de Empresa (Madrid, Spain). She has worked in the energy and telecommunications industries in France, USA and Spain and was the Director of the exposition “Process: culture and new technologies”, which was inaugurated at the Reina Sofía Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. Her main interests are the promotion of science and the relationship of mathematics with literature and art. She is the author of three books: “Duo Matemático”, “Matemática es nombre de mujer” and “Lee a Julio Verne: el amor en tiempos de criptografía”. In addition she is a member of the technical committee of the Fundación Garcia Cabrerizo which awards several prizes to Spanish innovators.