Necrologi - Obituary
Giovedì 14 maggio 2020 ci ha lasciato inaspettatamente il nostro amico e collega Matteo Griggio.
Il dolore colpisce tutto il dipartimento, di cui Matteo era un membro attivo e amato da colleghi e studenti. Le parole non renderanno mai, nemmeno in parte, giustizia al suo essere scienziato brillante, divulgatore eccellente, e amatissimo docente e mentore. Studiare il comportamento degli uccelli è stata una passione travolgente che ha coltivato fin da giovanissimo, e che lo ha portato ad eccellere come ornitologo e behavioural ecologist e ad essere conosciuto e apprezzato nella comunità scientifica nazionale ed internazionale. Ma Matteo era molto di più. Una persona eclettica, che aveva ampliato il suo interesse scientifico allo studio e alla conservazione del mare, a cui si stava dedicando con grande passione negli anni piu’ recenti. Chiunque conoscesse Matteo non poteva non sapere del suo amore di lunga data per la Sardegna e, piu’ recentemente, la sua attiva partecipazione alla Biologia Marina di Chioggia. Matteo si distingueva inoltre per il suo impegno a divulgare anche al grande pubblico, con passione ed entusiasmo, i temi della biologia evoluzionistica e della conservazione della natura.
Matteo lascia amici, prima che colleghi, ovunque egli abbia lavorato, sul campo e nei diversi istituti di ricerca che ha frequentato. Lascia un vuoto enorme di competenza, disponibilità, simpatia umana ed entusiasmo nell'Università di Padova, tra i colleghi e amici del Dipartimento di Biologia e del suo gruppo di ricerca.
I colleghi
Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Padova
Un grave lutto nel mondo della ricerca ornitologica
E’ mancato a 43 anni Matteo Griggio
Professore associato di Zoologia dell’Università di Padova, ricercatore di fama internazionale, noto per le sue ricerche in campo eco-etologico ed evoluzionistico, impegnato per la conservazione della natura.
Consigliere del CISO dal 2015 al 2019 e rappresentante del centro presso la FISNA, organizzatore del bellissimo CISO-Day di Padova del marzo 2015 sul tema “Analisi dei dati spaziali per lo studio dell’ecologia e del comportamento degli uccelli”.
La notizia ci lascia attoniti. Ci mancheranno la sua scienza, il suo bel carattere, la sua signorilità. A molti mancherà un bravissimo e affabile maestro.
15 maggio 2020
With great sadness we have to announce the loss of Matteo Griggio, scientist, friend and practically a family member of the Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology. Almost for a decade Matteo was part of the scientific team of the Institute. During his long stay at the KLIVV, he enjoyed Austria a lot, but in his heart, he was always Italian! So he was very happy when he was finally able to return to Italy, where he obtained a position as Professor at his home University in Padua.
During his time at the KLIVV he very much contributed to making the Institute a flourishing scientific hot spot, and with his charming behaviour he also createe a nice social environment. Interested in answering specific question in behavioural biology, he took advantage of the facilities at the KLIVV for a number of experiments. Following his interests in many topics, he also worked in the field and explored many spots across the world from his home base at the Institute.
Matteo Griggio was an enthusiastic and passionate scientist through and through. His passion was behavioural ecology and, in particular, birds. He became well recognized in his field. In fact, enthusiasm and passion drove his entire live. Interested, open-minded and gracious he was beloved wherever he turned up.
Almost all his wishes came true, his dream job as a behavioural scientist in his beloved home town Padua, many students and cooperation partners to work with, his own house, and a dog…
Matteo was happy: “If I had to die - I had a wonderful life!”
We lost Matteo suddenly and unexpectedly - in his 44th year of life. On 14 May 2020 he passed away in his house in Padua, when his heart stopped working.
He will leave a big gap in science and in our hearts, but Matteo is not gone, his life´s work continues. Today his students are dispersed throughout the world, representing him and his ideas and thoughts.
Matteo, we miss you!
Un abbraccio, bye bye
Herbert, on behalf of the entire KLIVV Team
Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Vienna
Con gran tristeza, AQUILA a-LIFE tiene que informar que ha fallecido Matteo Griggio, miembro activo del Comité Científico de AQUILA a-LIFE. El pasado 14 de mayo sufrió un ataque al corazón. Tenía sólo 43 años. Desde su apasionado trabajo en la Universidad de Padua (Italia) estaba particularmente interesado en los mecanismos que hay detrás del comportamiento social de las aves rapaces y los patrones de amistad entre las águilas. Como miembro del Comité Científico de AQUILA a-LIFE, propuso y promovió la preparación de un Manifiesto Científico para nuestro proyecto.
"Conocí a Matteo cuando todavía era un estudiante, y desde entonces trabajamos juntos durante casi 20 años en muchas materias, en varias partes del mundo. Me resulta difícil encontrar las palabras que expliquen la sensación de vacío y soledad que su muerte me ha dejado a mí y en todos los que lo conocieron. Sin duda fue un científico brillante y esto es algo que no necesita ninguna evidencia adicional. Lo recordaré como un muy buen amigo y una persona espléndida y de mente abierta, capaz de hacer frente con suavidad a la extraordinaria gran variedad de caracteres expresados por el género humano. Una cualidad muy rara ". Lorenzo Serra (ISPRA), Secretario del Comité Científico de AQUILA a-LIFE.
IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT AQUILA A-LIFE HAS TO INFORM THAT MATTEO GRIGGIO PASSED AWAY
Matteo was an active member of the AQUILA a-LIFE's Scientific Committee. On Thursday 14th he had a heart attack. He was only 43. From his passionate work at Padova University, he was particularly interested in the mechanisms behind social behaviour of raptors and friendship patterns amongst eagles. As a member of the AQUILA a-LIFE Scientific Committee, he proposed and promoted the preparation of a Scientific Manifesto for our project.
"I met Matteo when he was still a student, and since then we worked together for almost 20 years on many subjects, in several parts of the world. It is difficult for me to find the words to explain the sense of vacuum and solitude that his death has left to me and to all those who had met him. He was certainly a brilliant scientist and this is something that does not need any further evidence. I will remember him as a very good friend and a splendid, open-minded person, able to gently cope with the extraordinary large variety of characters expressed by the human kind. A very rare quality." Lorenzo Serra (ISPRA), Secretariat of the Scientific Committee of AQUILA a-LIFE project.
AQUILA a-LIFE C/Monte del Pilar S/N, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, España
It is with great sadness we have to announce the unexpectedly loss of Matteo Griggio, scientist, colleague and friend. On 14 May 2020 he passed away in his house in Padova (Italy) in his 44th year of life. It is difficult for us to enclose all his personality and his scientific contribution in few words.
His pervasive passion for birds started when Matteo was very young and distinguished him and his career for the entire life. After his degree in Natural Sciences in 2002 and his PhD in 2006 at the University of Padova, Matteo spent almost one decade at the Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology in Wien. His research at the KLIVV focused mainly on the use of visual signals in birds for both intra- and inter-sexual communication. His great enthusiasm for behavioural ecology and animal behaviour drove him to explore a variety of research questions, from parents-offspring interactions to mate preferences in a range of different bird species (from the rock sparrow, to yellow-vented bulbul, fairy wren, diamond firetail, blue tit, house sparrow, and kestrels) with many different colleagues from Europe to Australia. He significantly contributed to the scientific output of the KLIVV and with his always positive and charming behaviour he created a friendly working atmosphere.
In 2014 Matteo came back to University of Padova as assistant professor, where he extended his research interests to social behaviour in fish, although birds always remain his lifelong passion. As it was usual for Matteo, his contribution to experiments and field work went well beyond science, making the atmosphere ideal for collaboration with students and colleagues. Matteo was also an engaging teacher and he was able to infuse his enthusiasm for animal behaviour to students, many of which are now continuing his work.
In the last years Matteo has increased his dedication to nature protection by organizing a number of events to raise public awareness on environment and importance of biodiversity conservation. He was a member of ASAB and he recently became an Editor for Animal Behaviour, his favourite scientific journal, as Matteo used to say.
Matteo was a very resourceful, brilliant behavioural ecologist and a nice person. His lively presence and constant smile will be terribly missed.
Silvia Cattelan, Andrea Pilastro, Herbert Hoi