Prof. Paolo Colombo is Professor of Materials Science and Technology at the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Italy. He also holds appointments as Adjunct Professor at Pennsylvania State University (USA), Visiting Professor at University College London (UK), and is a member of the EPSRC Peer Review College (UK). He was a Foreign Scientist at INSA Lyon (France) and a DGF Mercator Professor at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany).

He is an Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics, a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, and is also Fellow of the American Ceramic Society, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the European Ceramic Society. His work has been recognised with numerous honours, including the Fulbright Scholarship (Penn State, 1991), the Pfeil Award, the Global Star Award, the Edward C. Henry Award, the Verulam Medal & Prize, and the Global Ambassador Award from the American Ceramic Society.

Prof. Colombo has authored over 270 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Open Ceramics and sits on the editorial boards of nine other international journals. His research focuses on novel processing routes for porous glasses and ceramics, including additive manufacturing, preceramic polymers, geopolymers, and the vitrification and reuse of hazardous waste.

Prof. Paolo Colombo has served as Officer of the Materials Science Division since March 2017, across three consecutive mandates: March 2017 – March 2020; March 2020 – March 2023, extended until April 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; May 2025 – April 2028 (current and final consecutive term, in accordance with the EurASc Bylaws).