Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vittoria Feola | Early Modern History | Best Researcher Award

University of Padua, Italy.

Vittoria Feola is an Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Padova, Italy. She earned her PhD in History from Cambridge University (2005) and has held prestigious research fellowships, including the Wiener-Anspach and Francqui Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Lise Meitner Senior Postdoc at the Medical University of Vienna. She has been a Senior Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University and a Guest Professor in Rome, among other international appointments. Feola's research explores intelligence, martyrdom, and religious networks in early modern Europe, particularly in the context of Anglo-Spanish relations and Elizabethan England.

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🎓 Education

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vittoria Feola holds a PhD in History from Cambridge University (2005) and has been recognized for her academic excellence through the Cambridge European Trust Award (2000-2003). Her research has been supported by prestigious institutions, including the British Federation of Women Graduates and the Cambridge European Trust, reflecting her significant contributions to historical scholarship.

🏛 Experience

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vittoria Feola is an Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Padova (2015–Present). She has also held prestigious academic positions, including Senior Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University (2014–2017) and Lektorin in Early Modern History of Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna. Additionally, she has served as a Guest Professor at the Pontifical University St. Thomas in Rome and has been a Visiting Fellow at leading institutions such as Yale, Stanford, Toronto, and Cambridge, underscoring her extensive international research collaborations and expertise in early modern history.

🔬 Research Interests

Religious Intelligence and Martyrdom in Anglo-Spanish Relations (1550-1598)

Early Modern Universities and Scientific Networks

Alchemy, Medicine, and Religion in Early Modern England and Europe

Circulation of Knowledge and Printing Networks in the 16th-18th centuries

🏆 Awards & Honors

2023 Erasmus+ Grant, Teaching Stay at the University of Granada

2023 Book Publication Grant for Martyrdom, Intelligence, and National Identity in Anglo-Spanish Relations, 1550-1598

2022 MINI SID Seed Funding for “Spies or Heretics?” Project

2015 Gerda Henkel Co-Funding Grant for the Bartolomeo Gamba Project

2014 Vienna City Council Prize for organizing Scientiae Vienna 2014

2002 British Federation of Women Graduates Research Award

📚 Notable Publications

📄 Feola, V. (2025). The uses of martyrdom works in Philip II's Spain and among Elizabethan English Catholics. Religion and Politics (forthcoming).

📄 Feola, V. (2025). Jesuit intelligence about Elizabethan England. Society and Politics (forthcoming).

📄 Feola, V. (2024). Autobiografia, cattolicesimo e sovranità: il caso di Elias Ashmole (1617-1692). Civiltà e Religioni, 10, 73-101.

📄 Feola, V. (2021). Alchemy, medicine, and religion in Elias Ashmole’s Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum. Civiltà e Religioni, VII, 87-122.

📄 Feola, V. (2019). Talismans as automata: Jacques Gaffarel’s Curiositez and the mechanisation of nature in 17th-century France. Society and Politics, 13(2), 61-86.

📄 Feola, V. (2019). Early Modern Violence and Religion. The Sixteenth Century Journal, 50.

Ms. Florence Acha | Super hydrophobic Coatings | Best Researcher Award

University of Massachusetts Lowell, United States.

Florence Nkemamaka Acha is a dedicated researcher in polymer engineering, with expertise in biomaterials, nanotechnology, and composites. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Plastics Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, she has an impressive academic track record and multiple research publications. Florence has significant teaching, research, and industrial experience, complemented by numerous leadership and volunteer roles. She has received several prestigious awards for her academic excellence and leadership contributions.

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Education 🎓

Florence Nkemamaka Acha is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Plastics Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, where she is working under the supervision of Prof. Joey Mead on developing PFAS-free superhydrophobic coatings for textile applications. She holds a Master of Engineering in Plastics Engineering with honors from the same institution, with an impressive GPA of 3.917/4.0, and is expected to complete her degree in February 2025. Florence earned her Bachelor of Engineering in Polymer and Textile Engineering with first-class honors from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria, in 2019, achieving a stellar GPA of 4.67/5.0. Her undergraduate thesis focused on evaluating the physical and end-use properties of alkyd paints using local materials as extenders. Prior to her university studies, she completed her secondary education at Elaihor Grammar School, Egweaholor-Isi, Edo State, Nigeria, in 2013.

Experience 💼

Florence Nkemamaka Acha has built a strong foundation in academic research and teaching through her roles at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. She has been a Research Assistant since May 2023, working on innovative projects in plastics engineering, and served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant from August 2023 to August 2024, assisting in the delivery of key engineering courses.

In addition to her academic roles, Florence gained valuable industry experience during her production internship at Obino Industrial Company Limited in Nigeria. She also worked as a Research Assistant at Igwe Isaac Laboratory from 2019 to 2023 and as a Business Development Officer at Jimcol Resources Nig. Ltd., where she developed her business and technical expertise. This diverse experience equips her with both technical and leadership skills essential for addressing complex engineering challenges.

Research Interests 🤾‍♀️

Florence’s research focuses on:

Polymer Engineering

Polymer Science

Composites

Biomaterials

Material Science

Polymer Chemistry

Nanotechnology

Awards and Honors 🏆

Best Graduating Student Award, Polymer and Textile Engineering, FUTO (2019)

IBE MIT Alumni Award for Best Graduating Student, Polymer and Textile Engineering, FUTO (2019)

Educational Support Award, HillCity Foundation, Nigeria (2016-2019)

Delta State Bursary Scholarship, Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board (2015-2019)

Award of Excellence for Service and Leadership, Holiness Campus Fellowship, FUTO (2019)

Publications Top Notes 📝

Scheff T.; Acha, F.; Diaz Armas N.; Mead J.L.; Zhang, J. (2024). Tuning Wetting Properties Through Surface Geometry in the Cassie-Baxter State. Biomimetics, 2025, 10, 20.

Isaac O. Igwe, Florence N. Acha, et al. (2021). Utilization of Granite Quarry Dust Extender in Formulating Anti-Corrosive Paints for the Protection of Steel. Australian Journal of Science and Technology, 5(3), 631-637.

Book Chapter: Florence N. Acha (2024). Cleaning of Paints. In: Isaac O. Igwe (ed.). The Science and Technology of Paints. Submitted for publication.

Isaac O. Igwe, Florence N. Acha, Christian O. Anyaegbu, et al. (2020). Formulation of Anti-Corrosive Alkyd Paints Based on Umuahia Clay Extender. SSRG International Journal of Polymer and Textile Engineering, 7(2), 25-30.

Ifeoluwa Sarah Fesojaye, Favour Dada, Florence N. Acha (2023). Innovative Applications of Nanomaterials in Semiconductor Manufacturing: Advancing Efficiency and Performance for Next-Generation Technologies.