Mensa Foundation Honors Dr. Antonella D'Alessandro for Safety Innovation

Arlington, Texas, September 23rd, 2015 — Safety played a key part in inspiring this year’s winner of the Mensa Foundation’s International Copper Black award.

Assistant Professor Antonella D’Alessandro of the University of Perugia, Italy (and member of Mensa Italy) is the 2015 international winner for this award that recognizes creative intelligence. Her research shows promise into the development of building materials that can detect structural issues.

“In particular, smart cementitious materials have the potential to provide concrete structures with self-sensing abilities,” said Dr. D’Alessandro. “This way it is possible to detect and localize the spread of cracks and damages into a monitored structure, especially after natural events such as earthquakes and typhoons.” Her research topics include self-sensing cement-based nanocomposites, innovative materials for constructions, structural health monitoring, fire engineering and recycled concrete.

“This award recognizes the importance of blending both intelligence and creativity together to create a better, and in this case, safer world,” said Dave Remine, president of the Foundation. “We are so proud to present this award to Dr. D’Alessandro.”

Copper Black was a Mensa member who valued creativity and left legacy funding for this award to recognize innovative and practical ideas from Mensa members. To find out more about the Mensa Foundation Awards, visit mensafoundation.org/awards.

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The Mensa Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on intelligence and giftedness in the community at large. It's mission supports two of the three stated purposes shared by all Mensa organizations, to identify and foster intelligence for the benefit of humanity and to encourage research into the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence. The Mensa Foundation pursues these goals, in partnership with American Mensa and/or Mensa International where appropriate, with resources donated by Mensans and non-Mensans alike and aspire to use the intelligence of Mensans and non-Mensans to make the world a better place. For more information about the Mensa Foundation, visit mensafoundation.org or call (817) 607-5577.