Personale docente

GRASSO Donato Antonio

EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC POSITIONS
1990 MD in Biological Sciences (Univ. Parma) (mark 110/110 cum laude)
1992 Habilitated to the Profession of Biologist (mark 150/150)
1994 PhD in Ethology
1996-1998 Post-Doc in Fundamental Biological Sciences
1999-2014 Permanent position as Researcher in Zoology, Univ. Parma
2000 Visiting Researcher Laboratory of Entomology, Univ. Leuven (BE)
2000-2014 Assistant Professor, Univ. Parma
2014 National Habilitation (ASN) to Associate Professorship (Zoology)
2014-2023 Associate Professor (Zoology)
2017 National Habilitation (ASN) to Full Professorship (Entomology)
2018 National Habilitation (ASN) to Full Professorship (Zoology)

ACTUAL POSITION: Full Professor (ZOOLOGY, SSD BIO/05)

TEACHING (CURRENT):
ZOOLOGY
BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY & SOCIOBIOLOGY
ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY IN AGROECOSYSTEMS
ANIMAL BIODIVERSITY IN NATURAL AND ANTHROPIZED ENVIRONMENTS (from 2024-2025)
DOCTORATE SCHOOL IN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY (Univ. Ferrara, Parma, Firenze)
TUTOR for more than 60 Students (MDs, Bachelors) and 7 PhD students

RESEARCH TOPICS
General:
BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY, BIOLOGY OF ANTS (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and OTHER INSECTS studied with a multidisciplinary approach (behavioural, morpho-functional, ecological and evolutionary).

Specific:
Ant-plant interactions and mutualisms; Interactions and mutualism between ants and phytophagous insects; Multitrophic interactions in natural and agroecosystems; Eco-ethological aspects and potential for biological control programs; Ants as mutualists of other organisms; Ant community structure, competition and other ecological interactions; Social organization and division of labour; Behavioural ecology and conservation biology of insect species of relevant ecological importance; Biodiversity, bioindicators, urban ecology, Citizen Science Programs; Phylogeny, population genetics, hybridization; Invasive species and their impact on natural and agro-ecosystems; Social parasitism, host manipulation, communication (behavioural, socioecological, morpho-functional aspects); Reproductive, orientation, foraging, aggressive behaviour.

PUBLICATIONS
Papers on Indexed International Journals: 90
Authored Books: 2 (Il Formicaio intelligente - 2018 Zanichelli; Etologia. Lo studio del comportamento animale - 2022 Utet Università)
Book chapters: 5
Book Introduction: 1
Congress Proceedings: 103 (43 international; 60 national)
Translation of scientific book: 1
Scientific revision of books: 3

INVITED SPEAKER TO CONGRESSES: 14 (6 international, 8 national)
INVITED SEMINARS FOR ITALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: 50

EDITORIAL BOARD INTERNATIONAL JOURNALS AND SERIES:
FRONTIERS IN INSECT SCIENCE
INSECTS
ENTOMOLOGIA, an international journal of entomology
INSECT SOCIAL LIFE

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES MEMBERSHIP
Società Entomologica Italiana (SEI)
Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI)
Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE)
Italian section IUSSI (International Union for the Study of Social Insects)
Società Museo Civico di Rovereto (Socio corrispondente)
Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica (SIBE)
European Society of Evolutionary Biology (ESEB)

RESPONSIBILITIES IN ACADEMIES and SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES:
COUNCIL BOARD of the Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology (2022-to date)
MEMBER ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE ITALIANA DI ENTOMOLOGIA (ANIE) (2020-to date)
SCIENTIFIC COMMITEE WWF ITALIA (2020-to date)
ETHIC COMMITTEE Fondazione Museo Civico di Rovereto. 2017-to date
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Fondazione Museo Civico di Rovereto. 2014-2021
PRESIDENT of the Italian Section IUSSI (International Union for the Study of Social Insects). 2005-2010
COUNCIL BOARD of the Italian Society of Ethology (SIE). 2008-2012
COUNCIL BOARD Italian Section IUSSI (International Union for the Study of Social Insects). 2001-2014

ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITIES UNIV. PARMA:
EU GREEN PhD COUNCIL member (2023-to date)
STEERING COMMITTEE SCVSA DEPARTMENT OF EXCELLENCE COMP-R (2023-to date)
RESPONSIBLE WORKING GROUP SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT OF EXCELLENCE COMP-R (2023-to date)
PRESIDENT DEGREE COURSE IN “NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES” (University of Parma) (2020-to date)
DEPARTMENT RESEARCH COMMITTEE Dept. SCVSA (University of Parma) (2020 to date)
RESPONSIBLE QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER (RAQ), 2014-2019
DEPARTMENT BOARD (Giunta Dip. Bioscienze), 2012-2014

SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES MEMBERSHIP
Unione Zoologica Italiana (UZI)
Società Entomologica Italiana (SEI)
Società Italiana di Etologia (SIE)
Italian section IUSSI (International Union for the Study of Social Insects)
Società Museo Civico di Rovereto (Socio corrispondente)
Società Italiana di Biologia Evoluzionistica (SIBE)

RESPONSIBILITIES IN ACADEMIES and SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES:
COUNCIL BOARD of the Italian Society of Evolutionary Biology (2022-to date)
MEMBER ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE ITALIANA DI ENTOMOLOGIA (ANIE) (2020-to date)
SCIENTIFIC COMMITEE WWF ITALIA (2020-to date)
ETHIC COMMITTEE Fondazione Museo Civico di Rovereto. 2017-to date
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Fondazione Museo Civico di Rovereto. 2014-2021
PRESIDENT of the Italian Section IUSSI (International Union for the Study of Social Insects). 2005-2010
COUNCIL BOARD of the Italian Society of Ethology (SIE). 2008-2012
COUNCIL BOARD Italian Section IUSSI (International Union for the Study of Social Insects). 2001-2014

OUTREACH - PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT - ORGANIZATION OF POPULAR SCIENCE EVENTS:
A detailed list of the almost 200 contributions of the last years (2015-2023) could be found here:
https://scvsa-servizi.campusnet.unipr.it/do/pubeng.pl/Search?search=part...

Among these, a special mention for:
INVITED SPEAKER
"Focus live" (Milano 2023)
“Festival della Scienza (Genova)” (2020);
“Verso la XXIII Esposizione Internazionale di Triennale Milano” (2020);
"Food and Science Festival" (Mantova 2019).

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS ON NATIONALE AND INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINES AND JOURNALS:
L’Essenziale (L'internazionale) (2021); Prometeo (2021) rivista trimestrale di Scienza e Storia (Mondadori); Nature Italy (2021); La Chiave di Sofia (2021); The New York Times (2020), La Repubblica (2020); 7 Corriere della Sera 2019; Il Giorno (2019); Il Mattino (2019); Focus (2019); Mind (2018); Focus Extra (2018).

TV:
RAI Cultura NEWTON 2020
SUPERQUARK (RAI) 2019
GEO (RAI) 2018
EXPLORA LA TV DELLA SCIENZA (Rai) 2004

SCIENTIFIC DOCUMENTARIES:
“SLAVE-MAKING ANTS” (2022), Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (education channels on YouTube with over 19 million subscribers)
Vita da vespa, GEO & GEO (RAI) 1994;
Un’amazzone piccola piccola, GEO & GEO (RAI) 1997.

RADIO:
BBC (2020); Rai Radio 3 (2019), Radio Popolare (2018, 2019), Radio 24 (2018, 2019, 2023)

ORGANIZATION "PARMA DARWIN DAY", 2008-to date