Veronica Piccialli

Veronica Piccialli is a Full Professor at the Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering "Antonio Ruberti" (DIAG) at Sapienza University of Rome. She teaches Geometry I for Management Engineering and Optimization Methods for Machine Learning for Data Science. Previously, she was Associate Professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (2020-2021) and Researcher there from 2008 to 2020. She serves as Associate Editor for INFORMS Journal on Computing (since 2019) and EURO Journal on Computational Optimization (since 2021).

Dr. Piccialli earned her degree in Computer Engineering (summa cum laude) and PhD in Operations Research from Sapienza University of Rome in 2000 and 2004 respectively. In 2006, she completed a postdoc at the Combinatorics & Optimization department of the University of Waterloo, Canada. She obtained Italian national scientific qualifications as Associate Professor in 2013 and as Full Professor in 2017.

Her research focuses on the intersection of optimization and machine learning, with particular expertise in nonlinear optimization, semidefinite programming, and mixed integer nonlinear programming. She applies these methods to diverse areas including Brain Computer Interfaces, electric consumption disaggregation, and process engineering for membrane systems. Her work demonstrates how advanced optimization techniques can enhance machine learning algorithms and solve complex engineering problems.

Her recent publications show a strong trend toward integrating optimization with machine learning, particularly in clustering algorithms, support vector machines, and neural networks. She has developed exact algorithms for semi-supervised learning problems and applied optimization techniques to real-world challenges in logistics, energy systems, and process engineering. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges theoretical advances in optimization with practical applications across multiple domains.

Dr. Piccialli has authored or co-authored over 40 articles in prestigious journals including Mathematical Programming, SIAM Journal on Optimization, IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems, and Computational Optimization and Applications. She has also contributed 3 refereed book chapters to international publications.

As an educator, she supervises student research and teaches advanced courses in optimization methods and geometry. Her teaching materials demonstrate a commitment to connecting theoretical concepts with practical applications, particularly in data science and machine learning contexts.

Her current research involves collaborations with Université de Lorraine on membrane systems for gas filtration and with RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) on optimizing last-mile facilities for freight trains, demonstrating the real-world impact of her optimization expertise.