Alessia Simonini

On 16 January 2024 our Founder, Professor Claus Sieverding regretfully passed away, and a tribute to his outstanding career at the VKI was published in the Alumni Newsletter 42. After serving as President of the Association for the maximum allowed duration as per our Statutes, Claus actively assumed the role of Secretary of the Association. His regretful passing away raised the need to nominate his successor as Board Member and Secretary.

At the Board Meeting of April 5^th, it was decided that Professor Christophe Schram, Vice-President for Europe, would carry out ad interim the role of Secretary of the Association until the Board Meeting of October 5^th. It is our pleasure to announce that now the Belgian Chapter of the Association has elected Dr. Alessia Simonini as Board Member, and that the Board has nominated her as new Secretary of the Association, hence member of the Executive Committee.

Alessia was enrolled at the VKI, first as STP in 2010, then followed the Research Master graduating with honors in 2012 and obtained her PhD in 2018. She then was hired by the VKI as Research Engineer from 2019 to 2021, then as Senior research engineer from 2021 to 2024. In March 2024, she left the institute looking for new challenges in the private sector, where she joined Tractebel Engineering S.A. in the role of Space Exploration Project Manager.

Alessia is a proud Alumna of the von Karman Institute and has been deeply influenced by its mission of advancing knowledge in fluid dynamics and fostering international scientific collaboration. She is eager to contribute to the VKI-AA which meant a lot to her, as she profited from two VKI-AA Research Travel Grants in 2014 and 2016.

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