Valentina Rognoli is an Associate Professor in the Design Department at the School of Design, Politecnico di Milano. Here, she studied and began her academic carrier focused on Materials for Design. She has been a pioneer in this field, starting almost twenty years ago and establishing an internationally recognised expertise on the topic both in research and education. For her PhD, she undertook a unique and innovative study on a key but a little treated topic: the expressive-sensorial dimension of materials of Design and their experiential aspects. This research has greatly influenced the teaching methodologies on materials at the School of Design.

At present, her research and teaching activities are focusing on pioneering and challenging topics such as: materials for the ecological transition; DIY-Materials for social innovation and sustainability; Bio-based and biofabricated Materials; Materials from Waste and food Waste; Materials for interactions and IoT (ICS Materials); Speculative Materials; Tinkering with materials, Materials Driven Design method, CMF design, emerging materials experiences, and material education in the field of Design.

At the institutional level, she is part of the Board of Professors of the PhD Programme in Design.
She is the author of over 50 publications and organised international workshops and events. She is an invited speaker and reviewer for relevant journals and international conferences.
Many international scholars recognised in the scientific community follow, inspire and appreciate her research and educational approach.

Short mission statement
Raise awareness and sensitise professionals and future designers that materials represent an essential contribution to the ecological transition thanks to their infinite and promising potentialities.