I’m so so proud to see my PhD student Viola De Renzis defending her PhD thesis today. Viola’s thesis is titled “Gravitational-wave astronomy at the crossroads: from current to future detectors, from single events to populations” and was examined by Maya Fishbach (Toronto), Laura Sberna (Nottingham) as external referees, as well as Walter Del Pozzo (Pisa), Stephen Green (Nottingham) and Alberto Sesana (Milano-Bicocca) as defense committee members. What should I say, from the first “off you go and learn Bilby” meeting we had, to all those discussions at the board, learning how to ski, those codes that did (not) work, and that distinctive laughter across the corridor. Our group will not be the same without Viola. You turned into a great scientist: now “spacca tutti” in Marseille!

That’s me, Steve, Walter, Viola, and Alberto…