Rita is a Scientist holding a Ph.D. in Science and Management of Climate Change from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and an M.Sc. in Marine Environmental Sciences and Oceanography from the University of Bologna. She currently leads the Operations and Data Management Research Unit within the IESP Institute, and serves as Deputy Leader of the Black Sea Monitoring and Forecasting Center under the Copernicus Marine Service. With over a decade of experience in operational oceanography, Rita has held key leadership positions, including Service Manager for both the Mediterranean and Black Sea Monitoring and Forecasting Centers.

Her work focuses on the development and delivery of ocean services and product to support a wide range of stakeholders, from institutional users to private-sector partners. She has actively contributed to numerous European and international research initiatives and has participated in several oceanographic campaigns dedicated to the collection and analysis of in-situ marine data.

Prior to her current position, Rita served as Deputy Director of CMCC’s Ocean Predictions and Applications Division.