Since 2023, Sara Pietrangeli has been a PhD student in Civil, Building-Architecture and Environmental Engineering at the University of L’Aquila (Abruzzo, Italy), within the disciplinary field of Urban and Regional Planning.
She holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Natural Risk Mitigation. Her Master’s thesis focused on risk assessment and spatial mapping for effective planning within the municipality of L’Aquila (Abruzzo).

Throughout her studies, she gained in-depth knowledge in the analysis and management of various risks—including seismic, coastal, and gravitational hazards (e.g., landslides)—as well as in geomatics, geotechnics, and the application of digital cartography and GIS technologies for spatial planning and territorial analysis.

Her doctoral research, entitled "Territorial Dynamics and Local Planning in Avalanche Risk Areas", is being carried out within the "Centro Planeco" research group at the University of L’Aquila, in collaboration with the Civil Protection Agency of the Abruzzo Region.

The aim of the project is to develop methodologies to be integrated into Decision Support Systems in order to identify interactions between anthropogenic influences and avalanche-prone areas. In doing so, the project seeks to protect hazardous zones from further settlement and to strengthen the resilience of mountain regions.

During a research stay at the Research Unit of Land Policy and Land Management at TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology), she is comparing Austrian and Italian tools for avalanche risk management, with the goal of identifying differences, strengths, and potential areas for transferability.