Chiara Ghidini

Chiara Ghidini is a Full Professor in Computer Science at the Faculty of Engineering of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (UNIBZ) in Italy. Her research focuses on symbolic and subsymbolic AI techniques related to Semantic Web, Knowledge Engineering and Representation, and Process Mining. Prior to joining UNIBZ, she worked at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in Trento, Italy for over 20 years, where she headed the Process & Data Intelligence (PDI) research unit.

Professor Ghidini's research interests span across several areas of Artificial Intelligence with a particular focus on:

• Artificial Intelligence and its applications in business processes
• Knowledge Representation and Semantic Web technologies
• Business Process Management and Mining
• Explainable AI for process monitoring and decision support
• Integration of machine learning and simulation for business processes

Her recent scholarly output reveals a strong emphasis on developing explainable predictive process monitoring systems, with particular attention to counterfactual reasoning and temporal constraints. The Nirdizati toolkit series represents a significant contribution to the field, evolving from foundational work to the more recent Nirdizati Light framework. Her research bridges theoretical aspects of process mining with practical healthcare applications, as evidenced by projects like the Arianna solution for breast cancer care paths.

Professor Ghidini has demonstrated significant academic leadership, serving as program co-chair for major conferences including EKAW 2018, ISWC 2019, and BPM 2020. She currently holds the position of vice-president of AIxIA, the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence, contributing to national AI strategy development.

At UNIBZ, Professor Ghidini teaches programming courses across multiple degree programs:

• Basics of Programming for the Vocational Bachelor in Wood Technology
• Introduction to Programming for the Bachelor in Computer Science
• Introduction to Programming for the Bachelor in Business Information Systems
• Laboratory for Fundamentals of Programming for the Vocational Bachelor in Wood Technology

Her research has substantial practical applications, particularly in healthcare optimization and resource scheduling, with several collaborations involving industrial partners in the Trentino region of Italy. The integration of process mining with machine learning and simulation techniques represents a hallmark of her methodological approach to solving complex business process challenges.