CERN Alumni Awardees 2021 -Simone Callegari

1)      What does winning the CERN Alumni award mean to you?

"The situation in which I won this award was very peculiar. In early 2020 due to the pandemic situation, I had to relocate from England, where I was doing a master, to Germany, Hannover where my girlfriend was living. My job situation was uncertain and more uncertainty was created also due to my family situation back in Italy, which became more difficult at the end of 2020. I was feeling unsatisfied and as if I didn't have time to pursue the things that were making me feel happy, I told to myself: science always made me feel satisfied and happy so probably I should do something with it. That's why I got in touch again with Rachel and CERN alumni with the idea of the "Science and Engineering stories". This created the possibility to learn more about topics that I didn't have time to go deep into during my work, and share my reflections with CERN alumni. Just after the first article, I had an immediate response from other friends, also alumni, and I believe they stimulated very interesting discussions with many who told me their impressions.

Due to this personal story, I believe for me winning this award means that you can be in contact with what you love wherever you are and not only if you are at CERN. This community of CERN alumni is truly a community where a passion for science is staying vivid and this is always a nice start for discussions."

2)      How did your CERN experience contribute to your subsequent career, if at all?

"I think I am a very rare example of someone that can hardly walk away from science. Following my experience as a fellow, I decided to take the path of performing an MBA. This didn't make me very happy initially because I was feeling surrounded by people very different from me and I was not feeling at ease. Following my MBA, I then decided to go back to science and apply my competencies there and now I am working for the German Metrology Institute located in Braunschweig on a very interesting project for building a quantum computer.

When I started I didn't know anything about quantum computers, but I had a very strong background in vacuum science due to my CERN experience. Everyone in my current group of about 100 people is asking for my advice about everything related to vacuum and I believe that is not only due to my knowledge but also due to the mentality that I learned when I was at CERN - to always try to understand every opinion based on scientific facts. If I would have to synthesize this in a few words I could say it is important to be critical for being creative. Now I try to solve the problems to make quantum computers at room temperature and I feel this is such a big challenge to engage with."

3)      Where do you see the value in being an active member of the CERN Alumni Network?

"For me being an active member now means writing blog articles for the community and not only for me. But everything started first as participation that I was doing mainly for myself. So I would advise this to anyone who wants to start contributing to the CERN alumni programme, do it as something for you, find what you like, and do it and you will show that when you start sharing this with others it is going to grow and engage more people.

Engaging with a community doesn't mean to be always "connected" but rather being present with what you are in the community, with what you like to do. Rachel is so open to every proposal you could have and you will see yourself also the benefits of this very soon after you start."

4)      Is there anything else you’d like to add?

"Just that I am very proud and happy about having received this trophy. Claudia, my girlfriend and my future wife was a big sustainer of my blog work and has been supporting me all along. I am very excited to see how life will evolve from now on.  It is a little like science, you never know the direction, it is complicated, but you can always go one step ahead when you are on a good path."