Maurizio Lo Vetere (1965 - 2015)

The high-energy physics community mourns the sudden loss of Maurizio Lo Vetere, CMS and TOTEM member, who was the victim of a bike accident.

On 8 August, 2015, during a mountain bike ride in the upland of his hometown of Genoa, Italy, 50-year-old Maurizio Lo Vetere fell down a scarp. By the time first-aiders arrived on the scene, it was too late.

Maurizio was an Associate Professor of the University of Genoa and team leader of the Genoa group in CMS. He began his career in high-energy physics at CERN, working first as an undergraduate, and subsequently as a PhD student on experiment PS202 (JETSET) at LEAR.

During his PhD years, he also contributed to experiment PS210, which produced and observed antihydrogen atoms for the first time. In the following years, he moved to experiment E835 at Fermilab, which was dedicated to the study of charmonium spectroscopy.

In 1996, he joined the BaBar collaboration at SLAC, where, for a decade, he made significant contributions, in particular to the construction and operation of the muon system. It was in 2005 that he made his return to CERN when he joined the TOTEM Collaboration, serving as deputy spokesperson for two years. More recently, in 2012, he joined CMS with his group.

Meanwhile, he had also started his teaching career in 1999 at the University of Genoa, where he was appreciated as a teacher for several undergraduate and PhD courses spanning a broad range of subjects. He became an Associate Professor in 2014.

Rarely can one find such a large base of knowledge related to experimental particle physics as Maurizio’s. His competencies ranged from theoretical foundations to detection techniques and data analysis, and also included vast expertise in technical aspects such as electronic design and software development. His pleasant manner and high-spirited attitude always helped to maintain an enjoyable atmosphere at work.

Away from work, Maurizio was an enthusiast of the outdoor sports that eventually betrayed him. His passionate presence will be sorely missed by his much beloved family – his wife Paola and children Marta and Matteo – and his many friends and colleagues at his University, INFN, and the high-energy physics community as a whole. 

His friends and colleagues