“AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!”

Here is what our former student told us:

“I’m Federico Scrinzi and in 2009 I participated in WebValley. The project of the edition was to render data by using unconventional methods, such as sounds. In those three weeks I have had an unforgettable experience that I will always remember with joy. I have made good friends and met collaborators with whom I have kept in touch for a long time. It was amazing to meet so many people who share my own passions!

After WebValley, together with Matteo Poletti, Severino Zeni, Fabiano Lever, and supported by Marco Grimaldi, we participated in the “Giovani Ricercatori Cercansi” contest with an extension of the summer camp project. We were awarded a trip to Switzerland and a scholarship.

My university career started with a three-year degree in Computer Science at the University of Trento. During my studies I collaborated with FBK’s SoNet group and Fondazione <ahref. I was also among the first employees of Spaziodati, the Trentino-Pisa based startup that has since grown and I think is a model for the local business-technology world. My studies continued with the Security & Privacy program offered by the EIT Digital Master School: a two-year program split up between Technische Universität Berlin (Germany) and University of Twente (Netherlands). After completing my master’s degree, I was hired by Google and, for over a year, have had the role of Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) in Dublin. The task of an SRE is to apply software engineering principles to create highly scalable, reliable and efficient software systems. It is thanks to the work of SREs that it is possible to continuously update and improve services offered (e.g. web sites, apps or mail services), while maintaining high quality and avoiding service disruptions.

However, I retain my passion for cybersecurity by participating in competitions called Capture The Flag (CTF) where the purpose is to find vulnerabilities and attack systems that have been prepared for the event. I am playing both online and on-site with a team of guys from all over Europe. One of the last events we attended was the 0CTF finals in Shanghai (China) in April 2016.

I think WebValley was a very important experience for my personal and professional development: it introduced me for the first time to research and made me learn a lot. The social aspect of WebValley is essential: there I met friends who have become companions of life. I advise anyone who is interested in computer science and research to participate in this initiative because I think it can give a lot and be a unique opportunity for growth and training. ”

Our best wishes for a happy career go out to Federico! Keep in touch!