Erio Tosatti, Deputy-Head of the ICTP's Condensed Matter Section and Professor of Physics at the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), is the recipient of the 1997 Francesco Somaini Prize. The prize, which is granted once every three years, includes a 12-million lire cash award. Tosatti's selection was announced during the Italian Physical Society's 100th-anniversary meeting held last month in Como. Tosatti received his award for his contributions to condensed matter physics. More specifically, his research has focused on the physics of surfaces.