A remarkable number of bright and committed Young Minds answered the call for applications to join the Action Committee.

Eventually, Serina Almassu (EPS YM Science4People in Bethlehem & PhD candidate at the Calegari research group, Centre of Regenerative Therapies-Dresden, Dresden University of Technology) and Pasquale Francesco Romano (EPS YM PONYS in Naples & Master’s candidate in subnuclear and astroparticle physics) were selected to join the committee.

Serina Almassu is a PhD candidate (Pre-doc) at Calegari research group, Centre of Regenerative Therapies-Dresden (CRTD), Dresden University of Technology (TUD), Germany. She’s also an administrative board member of the scientific research community of Palestine “ The Researchist” since 2019, and a member of the Palestinian Medical Technology Association since 2020. She has been a member of the EPS Young Minds section Science4People in Bethlehem, Palestine since 2017, and now an Action Committee member of the Young Minds project of EPS.

Pasquale Francesco Romano, a dedicated Master’s candidate in subnuclear and astroparticle physics, has been passionately engaged in scientific outreach and education. His contributions to the Physics & Optics Naples Young Students (PONYS) have been instrumental in organizing numerous events and workshops aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of physics among the public.

Both Serina and Pasquale have demonstrated exceptional motivation and leadership in developing their local sections and broader communities, and we are excited that they have been contributing to the programme’s growth in more central roles since September.

We are confident that their expertise and dedication will continue to significantly enhance our initiatives and impact.

During the EPS Forum 2024, the Action Committee convened for its biannual meeting. The discussions covered recent developments in the YM Programme, and the committee sketched out plans for future activities to continue advancing our goals.

A significant part of the meeting was the election of a new chairperson to succeed Mattia Ostinato.

We are pleased to announce that Carmen Martin has been elected as the EPS YM Chair for the 2024-2026 tenure period. Carmen brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the role, and we are confident she will lead the programme with distinction.

Carmen Martín Valderrama, PhD student at CIC nanoGUNE, Spain, where she works on nanomagnetism and magneto-optics, and former member of the YM section in Valladolid, Physics League, received the support of the entire committee and took over the chair position from the YM leadership meeting onwards. She presented an overview of the main points the action committee will work on for the next two years, which consists in (1) improving the internal processes, (2) strengthening the YM network and the relationship with other associations and (3) working on our digital presence, webpage and social media.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mattia Ostinato for his dedicated work and exceptional #leadership over the past two years. His contributions have been invaluable, and he has set a high standard for future leadership. We wish Carmen all the best and much success in her new role, and we look forward to the continued progress and achievements under her guidance.