Maria is a National Research Council (CNR) researcher and professor at the University of Insubria in Italy. She is leading a quantum physics lab with incredible energy and creativity. Working with her and her post-doc Alessia Allevi during my master thesis, taught me a lot and inspired me to pursue research. I owe her a lot, and so do many other students who passed through her lab or participated in the many outreach activities she organizes. Her experimental skills transfer also to the kitchen, where she can create delicious meals in her (few!) spare moments.