Federico Demaria is a Researcher at the Environmental Science and Technology Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He focuses on ecological economics, political ecology, and environmental justice, advocating for socio-ecological transformation beyond economic growth. As a founding member of Research & Degrowth and a board member of the European Society for Ecological Economics, he bridges academic research with activism. His current role includes deputy coordination of the ERC-funded EnvJustice project, studying global environmental justice movements. Research emphasizes waste management conflicts, informal recyclers' roles, and degrowth alternatives. Key publications include Decrecimiento: Vocabulario para una nueva era and Pluriverse: A Post-Development Dictionary , translated into multiple languages. Research interests coalesce around dismantling growth-based paradigms, centering marginalized groups in environmental struggles, and redefining sustainability beyond capitalist modernity. His work critiques extractive systems while proposing pluriversal alternatives grounded in indigenous and communal knowledge. Key Projects: EnvJustice (ERC), Degrowth initiative Key Themes: Waste politics, environmental conflicts, post-development, degrowth economics
Maria Grazia Ungaro is a Lecturer and Native Speaker Reader in the Department of Economic Sciences at the University of Salento. She serves as a contract lecturer for the course English for Economics and International Relations within the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs, including Management of Tourism and Cultural Activities, Business Management, and Economy & Finance. Her teaching responsibilities include conducting language exercises and recovery courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students across multiple programs in the Department of Economic Sciences. She is based at the Ecotekne Center, Pal. C, Lecce - Monteroni, with office hours held every Thursday from 4 PM to 6 PM by prior email appointment. Areas of teaching expertise: English for Economics and International Relations (8 CFU) Language instruction for Bachelor’s programs in Economy & Finance, Business Economics, and Digital Management Language instruction for Master’s programs in Management of Tourist and Cultural Activities, Business Management, and Economy, Finance and Insurance Contact Information: Email: mariagrazia.ungaro@unisalento.it Phone: +39 0832 298728 Office: Ground floor, Room 36, Building C, Ecotekne Center No scientific awards, research publications, or student advising roles are mentioned in the available information. Her role is focused on language instruction and academic support within the economic sciences curriculum.
Santo Burgio is an Associate Professor of History of Philosophy at the University of Catania, affiliated with the Special Teaching Structure of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the Ragusa Ibla campus. He has served as President of this academic structure since October 2016 and previously taught in the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy. His work is rooted in the Department of Humanities, where he contributes to philosophical and cultural education. His research focuses on the intersections of theology, philosophy, and politics in early modern Europe, particularly the development of moral probabilism in 17th-century Sicily. He has authored seminal works on Baroque theology and the ethical-political paradigm of neo-Stoicism, especially through the lens of Justus Lipsius. More recently, his scholarship has evolved toward intercultural philosophy, with a strong emphasis on contemporary African thought, as demonstrated in his 2018 monograph Il Terzo Muntu . He situates Baroque ethics as a precursor to Kantian and critical historicist traditions, advocating for philosophical dialogue beyond Eurocentric frameworks. The recent publications reflect a clear trajectory from early modern European philosophy toward global and decolonial philosophical discourse, with keywords spanning ethics, political philosophy, cultural identity, and intercultural theory. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary philosophical engagement, particularly in postcolonial and African contexts. He actively supervises graduate students, as evidenced by a consistent stream of thesis topics on African philosophy, language, identity, and continental thinkers. Although no formal scientific awards are listed, his sustained scholarly output and leadership role indicate significant academic recognition. He maintains regular office hours and is accessible via email, demonstrating active engagement in academic service and mentorship. Burgio’s research contributes to broader efforts in rethinking philosophy as an intercultural and historically grounded practice, fostering dialogue between European and non-European intellectual traditions.
Fosca Giannotti is a Full Professor at Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, Italy, and leads the Pisa KDD Lab - Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Laboratory, a joint research initiative of the University of Pisa and ISTI-CNR. Founded in 1994, the Pisa KDD Lab is one of the earliest research labs focused on data mining. Giannotti is a pioneering scientist in mobility data mining, social network analysis, and privacy-preserving data mining. Her educational background includes a Master Degree in Computer Science from the University of Pisa (1982) with 110/100 cum laude. She has held numerous visiting positions including at MCC in Austin, CWI Amsterdam, UCLA, and the Barabasi Lab at Northeastern University. Giannotti's research focuses on social mining from big data, encompassing smart cities, human dynamics, social and economic networks, ethics and trust, and diffusion of innovations. She has authored more than 300 papers and coordinated tens of European projects and industrial collaborations. Her current work increasingly centers on Explainable AI (XAI), as evidenced by her prestigious ERC Advanced Grant for the XAI project focused on "Science and technology for the explanation of AI decision making." Her recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on trustworthy AI, with research spanning privacy-preserving techniques, fairness in machine learning, human-AI collaboration frameworks, and medical applications of explainable AI. The breadth of her work demonstrates how data mining principles are being applied across diverse domains from social sciences to healthcare. ERC Advanced Grant for XAI project Premio Internazionale Tecnovisionarie 2021 Intelligenza Artificiale Giannotti has coordinated numerous significant projects including SoBigData (the European research infrastructure on Big Data Analytics and Social Mining), XAI, TAILOR (Foundations of Trustworthy AI), HumanE-AI-Net, and AI4EU. As former coordinator of SoBigData, she led an ecosystem of ten cutting-edge European research centers providing an open platform for interdisciplinary data science. She leads the Pisa KDD Lab, which serves as a hub for research on knowledge discovery and data mining. The lab has been instrumental in developing techniques for mobility data analysis, social network mining, and privacy-preserving data analytics, with applications ranging from smart cities to pandemic response.
Simone Bianco is an Associate Professor at the Department of Informatics, Systems and Communication (DISCo) of the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy. His academic and research contributions span computer vision, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and optimization algorithms applied to multimodal and multimedia systems. His educational background includes a PhD in Computer Science (2010) and BSc/MSc degrees in Mathematics (2003/2006), both from the University of Milano-Bicocca. Bianco’s research focuses on color constancy, deep learning for video restoration, neural architecture search, and computational color imaging, with a strong emphasis on practical applications like biometric recognition, medical imaging, and environmental monitoring. The 15 most recent articles (2025–2020) highlight trends in computer vision, including uncertainty estimation in color constancy, portable material appearance modeling, temporal consistency in low-light videos, and advanced deep learning architectures for image and video processing. His work often integrates photogrammetry, sensor technology, and multimodal data analysis. Scientific accolades include recognition on Stanford University’s World Ranking Scientists List for achievements in artificial intelligence and image processing. Bianco also serves as R&D Manager for the University of Milano-Bicocca spin-off Imaging and Vision Solutions and contributes to international conferences and workshops.
Cristina Guardiano is a Full Professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Communication and Economics. Her research focuses on syntax, historical linguistics, and the Parametric Comparison Method (PCM), exploring syntactic variation across languages to reconstruct linguistic phylogenies. She specializes in formal syntax, differential object marking, and the intersection of syntax with computational and genetic data analysis. Key Affiliations: Dipartimento di Comunicazione ed Economia, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Research Themes: Syntactic parameters, language evolution, Romance dialectology, genetic-linguistic correlations Guardiano's work integrates theoretical linguistics with interdisciplinary approaches, including collaborations with geneticists and computational linguists. Notable contributions include studies on the syntax of Italiot Greek, Sicilian dialects, and the application of parametric syntax to historical language classification. She leads initiatives like the TerraLing database to systematize cross-linguistic syntactic data. Her teaching includes advanced courses on linguistics, parametric syntax, and the analysis of language evolution. She emphasizes critical evaluation of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their implications for linguistic theory.
Raffaella Bernardi is an Associate Professor at the University of Trento, affiliated with the Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science (DISI) and the Center for Mind/Brain Science (CIMeC). She holds a PhD in Logic and Language from Utrecht University (2002) and has held academic positions at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and the University of Trento. Her research focuses on computational linguistics, formal semantics, distributional semantics, and multimodal models, with a particular emphasis on integrating vision and language systems. Education: PhD in Logic and Type Theory (2002, Utrecht University), Master's in Philosophy (1994, University of Chieti), and High School Diploma (1990). Research Interests: Natural Language Processing, Categorial Type Logic, Compositional Distributional Semantics, Visual Dialogues, and Multimodal Reasoning. She has pioneered work on grounding language in visual contexts and has contributed to key projects like the ERC-funded COMPOSES initiative. Grants & Leadership: Principal Investigator on EU projects (e.g., CACAO, Galateas) and member of the ERC COMPOSES team. She chairs conferences like ACL and EMNLP and serves on editorial boards for journals like the Journal of Logic, Language, and Information. Labs: Leads the LaVi (Language and Vision) research group and collaborates with the CLIC Lab. Active in organizing workshops on Formal Grammar and Vision-Language Integration.
Gabriele Berton is a postdoctoral researcher at Amazon, focusing on Multimodal Large Language Models and advanced computer vision applications. He holds a PhD in Computer Vision from the Polytechnic of Turin under Prof. Barbara Caputo. His research expertise includes visual geo-localization, place recognition, and scalable image retrieval systems. He previously worked at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and was a visiting scholar at Carnegie Mellon University's AirLab under Prof. Sebastian Scherer. His work on EarthLoc is utilized by NASA for localizing International Space Station imagery. Education: PhD in Computer Vision, Polytechnic of Turin (2022) Master’s/Pre-PhD work at Italian Institute of Technology Research Focus: Berton’s work emphasizes robust visual localization systems, including 3D mesh-based place recognition (MeshVPR), astronaut photography indexing (EarthLoc), and iterative coregistration techniques (EarthMatch). He develops scalable algorithms for large-scale applications, balancing performance with computational efficiency. Key Achievements: First-author papers at CVPR, ICCV, ECCV (7+) First Prize in Best Student Research at EuroCon 2023 Co-developed CosPlace framework for large-scale visual localization Labs/Teams: Collaborates with AirLab at CMU and MaLGa Lab. Active contributor to the RoboTo robotics team, focusing on computer vision for robotics competitions.
Elena Umili is an Assistant Professor (RTD-A) at the Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering (DIAG) of Sapienza University of Rome, specializing in Neurosymbolic AI research. Her work bridges deep learning with symbolic reasoning systems. She received her PhD in Engineering in Computer Science from Sapienza University of Rome in 2023 under the supervision of Prof. Giuseppe De Giacomo and Prof. Roberto Capobianco. Her doctoral thesis focused on 'Discovering Logical Knowledge in Non-Symbolic Domains'. Her research interests center on Neurosymbolic AI integration , particularly: Combining deep machine learning with symbolic reasoning Temporal logic specifications in neural systems Automata learning through neural relaxations Non-Markovian reinforcement learning tasks Visual grounding of logical specifications Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on neural-symbolic integration where she develops frameworks like DeepDFA and Neural Reward Machines. Her work consistently addresses the challenge of incorporating logical constraints into deep learning systems, with applications spanning robotics, sequence generation, and visual reasoning. The research demonstrates increasing sophistication in handling temporal logic specifications within neural architectures. She is an active member of research groups focused on Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge Representation, as well as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at Sapienza University. While no formal advisees or major awards are currently documented in her public profile, her recent publications indicate significant contributions to the neurosymbolic AI field through top-tier conferences including ECAI, KR, and specialized workshops. Her work shows strong potential for future impact in bridging the gap between neural and symbolic AI paradigms.
Enrico Bertolazzi is an Associate Professor in Numerical Analysis at the University of Trento's Department of Industrial Engineering. He specializes in numerical methods for optimal control, finite element methods, sparse matrix computations, and symbolic computation. His work integrates advanced programming skills in C/C++, MATLAB, and other languages to develop computational tools for engineering and mathematical challenges. Bertolazzi's research addresses complex systems such as vehicle dynamics, trajectory optimization, and real-time simulations, with applications in automotive engineering, renewable energy, and robotics. Research Interests: Numerical Optimal Control and Trajectory Planning Finite Element/Finite Volume Methods for PDEs Sparse Matrix Algorithms Clothoid Curve Modeling Symbolic-Numeric Hybrid Techniques Vehicle Dynamics and Autonomous Systems Publications: Recent work focuses on real-time tire models, DAE index reduction, and autonomous vehicle path planning. His contributions span algorithm development, computational toolboxes (e.g., TrussMe-Fem), and interdisciplinary applications combining mathematics with engineering. Grants & Advising: Advises on optimal control, robotics, and simulation projects. Active in developing educational software like the virtual racing car championship platform. Labs/Teams: Involved in research groups focused on intelligent vehicles, computational mechanics, and numerical methods for industrial applications.
Dr. Anna Borghi investigates how concepts are grounded in sensory-motor and social experiences through the lens of embodied cognition. Her Words As social Tools (WAT) theory proposes that abstract concepts rely more heavily on linguistic and social experiences than concrete concepts. Central research themes: Neural and behavioral foundations of abstract concepts Role of language and inner speech in conceptual processing Social dimensions of conceptual representation Cross-cultural differences in concept formation Development of abstract thought in children Recent work employs multimodal methodologies including thermal imaging, motion tracking, and computational modeling. Publications demonstrate growing interest in real-world applications such as autism interventions and AI communication systems. Current projects examine conceptual processing during the COVID-19 pandemic and politeness strategies in human-chatbot interactions.
Ada Valentini is a Full Professor in Glottology and Linguistics (SSD L-LIN/01) at the University of Bergamo, Department of Languages, Literatures and Foreign Cultures. She has been a faculty member since 1997, promoted to full professor in 2017, and has taught a wide range of courses including Acquisitional Linguistics, Corpus Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication. Her academic journey began in 1987-1988, with continuous teaching engagement since 1993-1994. PhD in Linguistics, University of Pavia (1992) Graduate in Foreign Languages and Literatures, University Institute of Bergamo (1986) Her research focuses on acquisition linguistics , particularly the acquisition of Italian as a second language by speakers of Wu Chinese, Tigrinya, English, and German, grounded in a typological-functionalist framework. She has published extensively in this domain, including two monographs. Her sociolinguistic interests include immigrant languages in Italy and linguistic varieties. She also investigates information structure in the Bergamo dialect, ancient and contemporary Italian, and English, especially split sentences. Her recent publications (2021–2025) reflect a strong engagement with second language acquisition, digital processing of spoken data, femicide discourse in media, and the preservation of linguistic heritage. Themes across her work include language contact, multilingualism, and the documentation of minority and regional varieties. She has no listed scientific awards in the provided text. Prof. Valentini supervises master's theses and advises students, requiring institutional email contact for academic inquiries. She holds regular online office hours on Mondays from 8–10. She is actively involved in academic service, including thesis preparation seminars for graduating students. She leads and contributes to initiatives on linguistic heritage and digital documentation, particularly through publications and editorial work on regional Italian dialects and sociolinguistic issues.
Pierpaolo Oreste is a Full Professor in the Department of Environmental, Land and Infrastructure Engineering (DIATI) at the Polytechnic University of Turin. He serves as the Coordinator of the Student Discipline Committee and maintains an active academic career spanning multiple roles including supervision of PhD students across numerous cycles of the Civil and Environmental Engineering doctoral program from 2015 to 2025, and teaching various master's level courses focused on underground engineering, mining, and safety management. Professor Oreste's research focuses on geotechnical engineering with particular emphasis on underground construction and mining. His primary research interests include Applied geomechanics, Mining engineering, Rock reinforcements, Safety engineering, Support structures, Tunnel stability, and Underground works. His research lines specifically address ANALYSIS OF UNDERGROUND VOID STABILITY, ROCK REINFORCEMENT BEHAVIOR, ROCK SUPPORT INTERACTION, SAFETY ENGINEERING IN CRITICAL CONDITIONS, and SUPPORT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS. His work bridges theoretical geomechanics with practical engineering applications, particularly in tunneling, mining operations, and safety assessment in underground environments. An analysis of Professor Oreste's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on tunnel engineering, particularly examining segmental lining behavior, rock-bolt interactions, and grouting techniques. His research demonstrates advanced numerical modeling approaches to understand complex geomechanical behaviors in underground structures. A significant portion of his work addresses practical engineering challenges in tunnel construction, mining operations, and the long-term stability of underground voids. His publications frequently appear in high-impact journals such as Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, and Transportation Geotechnics. Professor Oreste has secured and led numerous research projects throughout his career. These include the REMUCK project (2007-2011) on sustainable recycling of tunnel excavation waste, and more recent commercial research projects spanning from 2020 to 2027. His research portfolio demonstrates strong industry engagement, with projects focused on tunnel safety verification, numerical modeling of marble quarries, carbon footprint analysis for mineral resource extraction, and stability assessment of underground voids. He has served as Scientific Manager for over fifteen research initiatives, indicating substantial grant funding and industry collaboration. Professor Oreste teaches several advanced courses including 'Underground works and mining' and 'Risk Assessment and Management in Industry and Construction Sites' across multiple degree programs. He has been consistently involved in the Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD program at the Polytechnic University of Turin for over a decade, supervising doctoral research in excavation engineering and safety. His teaching spans both Italian and English language programs, reflecting his international academic engagement.
Daniele Nardi is a Full Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, affiliated with the Faculty of Information Engineering, Computer Science, and Statistics, and the Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering "A. Ruberti". He has held this position since 2000 and previously served as a researcher (1988) and associate professor (1992) at the same institution. His academic journey began with a Laurea in Electronic Engineering from Politecnico di Torino (1981) and a Specialization in Control Systems Engineering from Sapienza (1984). Research interests include: Cognitive Robotics Robotic Soccer Emergency Response Robotics Assistive Robotics for Elderly Precision Agriculture Robotics Recent article trends focus on: Synthetic data generation for agricultural monitoring LLM-driven multi-agent planning systems Signal temporal logic applications in robotics Self-supervised learning techniques Virtual reality-based HRI evaluation Embodied AI and online grounding Scientific recognition includes: IJCAI Publisher's Prize 1991 Intelligenza Artificiale award 1993 RoboCup Mid-Size II Place 1998 AAMAS Best Robotic Demo 2008 ECCAI Fellow 2009 He leads the Cognitive Robot Teams laboratory and serves as President of the RoboCup Federation since 2011. As Presidente del Consiglio d'Area in Computer Engineering since 2004, he has shaped academic governance. His teaching includes Seminars in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at the Master in AI and Robotics program, and Complements of Programming at the undergraduate level.
Maddalena Bonelli is Associate Professor of History of Ancient Philosophy in the Department of Letters, Philosophy, and Communication at the University of Bergamo. She holds a PhD from the University of Geneva and serves as coordinator of the English-language master's program "Philosophical Knowledge" at the University of Bergamo. Additionally, she directs the "Archivio delle Filosofe" (SWIP-Italia), an important initiative dedicated to documenting and promoting the work of women philosophers throughout history. Bonelli's research focuses on ancient metaphysics, ancient logic, and the history of ancient women philosophers. Her scholarly work demonstrates particular expertise in Aristotelian philosophy, the works of Alexander of Aphrodisias, ancient causality, and the contributions of women to philosophical thought in antiquity. Her approach combines rigorous textual analysis with broader historical and philosophical contextualization, revealing the complex interplay between philosophical ideas and their historical reception. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on Peripatetic philosophy, particularly the work of Alexander of Aphrodisias as interpreter of Aristotle. Her research spans metaphysical, logical, and ethical dimensions of ancient thought, with a growing emphasis on recovering and analyzing the contributions of women philosophers in antiquity. This dual focus on technical philosophical analysis and historical recovery of marginalized voices represents a distinctive feature of her scholarly contribution. Bonelli actively contributes to academic service through her leadership roles, including directing the "Archivio delle Filosofe" which serves as a vital resource for scholars interested in women's philosophical contributions throughout history. Her work bridges traditional scholarship in ancient philosophy with contemporary concerns about representation and inclusion in the philosophical canon. Her teaching portfolio at the University of Bergamo includes courses on Ancient Dialectics, Ancient Philosophy, and Gender Studies, reflecting her dual expertise in technical philosophical analysis and the history of women philosophers. She teaches in both Italian and English, demonstrating her international scholarly engagement.
