Sandra Paterlini is a Full Professor in the Department of Economics and Management at the University of Trento, Italy. She holds academic roles including Co-Chair of the ERCIM Working Group on Optimization Heuristics and Vice-Chair of the IEEE Task Force on Portfolio Optimization. Her career includes visiting positions at institutions such as the University of Minnesota and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. She earned a PhD in Computational Methods for Financial and Economic Decisions from the University of Bergamo, an MSc in Financial Mathematics from the University of Warwick, and a Laurea in Economics from the University of Modena and Reggio E. Her research focuses on quantitative finance, risk management, portfolio optimization, and network analysis, with applications to ESG, systemic risk, and financial stability. Key research contributions include methodologies for sparse graphical modeling, systemic risk analysis, and ESG scoring frameworks. She has received multiple awards for research excellence and serves on editorial boards of journals like Computational Statistics & Data Analysis and Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics . Her work bridges academia and policy, with contributions to the European Central Bank’s Financial Stability Directorate and involvement in global conferences on computational finance and econometrics.
Tindara Addabbo is a Full Professor at the Department of Economics 'Marco Biagi' of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Her academic roles include teaching and research in economic policy, labor economics, and gender equality. She coordinates courses such as 'Introduction to Macroeconomics,' 'Sustainability Report,' and 'Labour and Industrial Economics' at both undergraduate and master's levels. Her research focuses on gender wage gaps, LGBTQI+ workplace inequalities, gender budgeting, and inclusive teaching methodologies like Team-Based Learning (TBL). Her educational background aligns with her academic career, though specific details are not explicitly stated. She actively participates in institutional reforms to promote gender equality in academia, including the development of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) and gender-auditing frameworks. Research interests span labor market dynamics, policy impacts on well-being, and sustainable development goals. Notable projects include analyzing gender disparities in wages and employment, the role of corporate policies in reducing inequality, and the effects of the green transition on work quality. Her publications emphasize evidence-based approaches to gender equality, academic inclusivity, and policy evaluation. She collaborates with international organizations and contributes to EU initiatives on social and economic policy.
Maurizio MUZZUPAPPA is a Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering (University of Calabria) since 2018. His roles include Rector's Delegate for Technology Transfer, Academic Delegate for Education at DIMEG, and Head of the Physical Prototyping Laboratory at the MaTeRiA Center (UNICAL-CNISM collaboration). He supervises the Unical Racing Team in Formula SAE competitions and co-founded three university spin-offs: 3DResearch, Tech4Sea, and Q-BOT. As Scientific Director of projects like TECH4YOU (climate change adaptation technologies) and GROWN IN THE BLUE (Mediterranean reef conservation), he integrates research in industrial design, augmented reality, and underwater cultural heritage. He has authored over 200 publications (h-index 27) and holds 10 patents. His teaching includes Tools and Methods for Industrial Design and Formula SAE LAB . His research focuses on: Industrial design methodologies with parametric and sustainable approaches 3D prototyping and additive manufacturing User-Centered Design for product ergonomics Virtual/Augmented Reality applications in engineering and cultural heritage Underwater robotics and artifact restoration Recent publications highlight trends in AR for industrial maintenance, generative design tools, and mechatronic solutions for underwater heritage. He has supervised over 300 theses and 10 Ph.D. students while leading technology transfer initiatives.
Diego Calvanese is a Full Professor in Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy. He serves as Spokesperson of the Institute of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence and Director of the Smart Data Factory technology transfer lab at NOI Techpark. As Coordinator of the Intelligent Integration and Access to Data (In2Data) research group, part of the Research Centre for Knowledge and Data (KRDB), he leads significant research initiatives in knowledge representation and data management. Calvanese's research focuses on virtual knowledge graphs for data access and integration, ontology-based data access, description logics, semantic web technologies, graph data management, and verification of data-aware processes. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications through the Ontop framework, which enables SPARQL query answering over OWL 2 QL ontologies connected to external data sources. His research has substantial practical impact, powering the South Tyrol Open Data Hub Knowledge Graph and supporting numerous European and national research projects. With more than 400 refereed publications and over 39,000 citations (h-index 80), Calvanese's recent work demonstrates continued leadership in virtual knowledge graphs, ontology-based data federation, explainable AI through knowledge representation, and integration of complex data types including 3D city models and raster data. His publications show a clear trajectory from theoretical foundations toward increasingly practical and applied research addressing real-world data integration challenges across multiple domains. ACM Fellow (2019) EurAI Fellow (2015) AAIA Fellow Program Chair of PODS 2015 and KR 2020 General Chair of ESSLLI 2016 Calvanese has secured significant research funding through numerous competitive projects including EU H2020 INFRAEOS Project (INODE), Italian PRIN Project (HOPE), FESR Project (IDEE), and EU FP7 IP Project (Optique), totaling close to 6.4M Euro. As an originator and co-founder of Ontopic, the first spin-off of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, he has successfully translated research into commercial applications. He serves as Associate Editor of Artificial Intelligence (AIJ) and has participated in over 200 program committee roles for international conferences. As Director of the Smart Data Factory technology transfer lab and coordinator of the In2Data research group, Calvanese bridges academic research with industry applications, focusing on practical implementations of knowledge graph technologies. His work with the KRDB Research Center has established Bozen-Bolzano as a significant hub for knowledge representation and data management research in Europe.
Caterina Cruciani is an Associate Professor at the Department of Management , Venice School of Management , Ca' Foscari University of Venice. She serves as a member of the University Scientific Instrumentation Service Center (CSA) Management Committee and is affiliated with the Research Institute for Social Innovation . Research Interests Trust dynamics in financial advisory Behavioral finance and investor decision-making Sustainability disclosure and ESG integration Digital transformation in financial services Regional economic development and SME financing Agent-based modeling of cooperative behavior Key Article Trends (2009-2024): Span 15 years of research on financial trust (12 publications), behavioral economics (10), sustainability (6), and digital finance (5). Methodologically combines experimental economics , structural equation modeling , and Supervised Topic Modeling for ESG discourse analysis.
Davide Cassi serves as Associate Professor of Physics of Matter at the University of Parma's Department of Mathematical, Physical and Computer Sciences since 2001, following his appointment as Researcher in Theoretical Physics (1995-2001). With over 30 years of academic service, he teaches Condensed Matter Physics, Soft Matter Physics, and Physics Applied to Gastronomy across undergraduate and graduate programs in Physics and Gastronomic Science. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Physics, University of Parma (1988-1992) Master’s degree in Materials Science and Technology, University of Parma (1986-1988) Degree in Physics, University of Parma (1982-1986) Cassi's research integrates statistical mechanics with real-world applications through two primary lenses: complex network theory for ecological and social systems, and soft matter physics applied to culinary processes. His work on biodiversity loss prediction in agricultural networks and food preservation technologies demonstrates exceptional interdisciplinary reach. Recent publications reveal a strategic pivot toward AI-driven biodiversity conservation and network robustness modeling. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) shows dominant themes in network vulnerability analysis (68% of works) and food-physics applications (27%), with emerging focus on machine learning integration for ecological modeling. His research bridges theoretical physics with practical solutions in food safety and ecosystem management. Key recognitions include: Grand Prix de la Science de l'Alimentation from Académie Internationale de la Gastronomie (2012-2013) Dual National Scientific Qualifications for Full Professorship (2022) in Theoretical Physics of Fundamental Interactions and Matter Cassi's academic contributions extend beyond publications to two international patents in food preservation technology and editorial leadership since 2007 for World Scientific's Series on Advances in Statistical Mechanics . His research program demonstrates consistent translation of theoretical physics into practical applications across gastronomy and ecology, with growing emphasis on AI-enhanced network analysis for sustainability challenges.
Giuliano Bianchi is an Associate Professor of Economics at EHL Hospitality Business School, specializing in law and economics, corporate governance, and forecasting. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Bologna, a Master's in Economics from the University of Edinburgh, and a Master in Law from the University of Fribourg. His research focuses on hospitality economics, asset-light business models, and macroeconomic forecasting in the Swiss hotel sector. Education: PhD in Economics, University of Bologna (Italy) Master's Degree in Economics, University of Edinburgh (UK) Bachelor's in Economics, University of Lugano (Switzerland) Bachelor in Law (BLaw), UniDistance Master in Law (MLaw), University of Fribourg His research interests include empirical analysis of hotel industry dynamics, regulatory frameworks affecting hospitality operations, and corporate governance mechanisms. He pioneered the Swiss Hospitality Macroeconomics Forecasting Index (2018-2020), a project funded by HES-SO to develop demand forecasting tools for Swiss hotels. Recent work explores legal aspects of hotel rate parity, brand affiliation impacts on asset values, and the socio-economic implications of hospitality employment. Awards: Wertheim Fellowship, Harvard Law School Bologna University Economics Department Scholarship Marco Polo Fellowship Program Dr. Bianchi serves on EHL's academic board and teaches Macroeconomics and Microeconomics in the BSc International Hospitality Management program. His research has been published in Tourism Economics, Journal of Property Research, and Applied Economics.
Simon J. Puglisi is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki. His research focuses on algorithms, data structures, pattern matching, and data compression, with applications in bioinformatics and genomics. He has collaborated extensively with researchers in the field, including Travis Gagie, Juha Kärkkäinen, and Andrew Turpin. His work spans theoretical computer science and practical applications in genomic data processing and efficient indexing techniques. Key research interests include genome sequencing algorithms, efficient compression methods (e.g., Lempel-Ziv and relative Lempel-Ziv), and the development of succinct data structures for handling large genomic datasets. His contributions to suffix arrays, wavelet trees, and de Bruijn graphs have advanced computational methods in bioinformatics and information retrieval. Puglisi's articles frequently address challenges in text indexing, error correction in short-read sequencing, and optimizing algorithms for scalability. He is known for his work on self-indexing techniques and the SHREC error correction method for genomic data. His research bridges theoretical algorithm design with real-world applications in high-throughput sequencing and large-scale data management.
Teresa TRUA is an Associate Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Parma, where she has been employed since 1998. She teaches Petrography (12 ECTS) for the Geological Sciences (L-34) program and holds additional teaching appointments in Geothermal Energy and Active Magmatic Systems. Her academic career includes a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences (University of Pisa, 1997) and a geological sciences degree from the University of Calabria (1990). 1967: Born in Genova, Italy 1990: Degree in Geological Sciences, University of Calabria 1997: Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, University of Pisa Her research focuses on petrology and geochemistry of magmas in back-arc basins (Southern Tyrrhenian), rift areas (Ethiopian Rift; Hyblean Plateau), and post-collisional settings (Carpathian Arc), aiming to decipher magma petrogenesis and geodynamic relationships. She specializes in melt inclusions in olivine phenocrysts and crystal textural/chemical analysis as petrogenetic tools for plumbing system reconstruction. Recent publications (2024) analyze back-arc plumbing systems, carbonatite signatures in Southern Italy, and time scales of mush-dominated magmatic processes, building on 34+ international journal publications with 753 citations (h-index: 14, i10-index: 17 as of 2018). Collaborations include ISMAR-CNR (Bologna), IGG-CNR (Pisa, Padova, Pavia), DiBEST (University of Calabria), and CNRS-IRD (France). Teaching spans Petrography (I & II) at both first and second cycle degrees in Earth Sciences and Geological Sciences Applied to Environmental Sustainability (2013-2025). Her work integrates field-based volcanic rock studies, geochemical data, and experimental petrology to unravel mantle dynamics and crustal magma evolution.
Hugo Georges Victor Lavenant serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Decision Sciences at Bocconi University, Milan, where he has held a faculty position since 2020. Previously, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia (2019-2020) under the Pacific Institute of Mathematical Sciences and earned his PhD in Mathematics from Université Paris-Sud (2016-2019) under Filippo Santambrogio's supervision. His academic foundation includes: PhD in Mathematics, Université Paris-Sud (2016-2019) Studies at École Normale Supérieure (2012-2016) covering mathematics, physics, history, and philosophy of science Classes préparatoires in mathematics and physics (2010-2012) Lavenant's research centers on optimal transport theory and its applications across mathematical disciplines. He investigates geometric structures in Wasserstein spaces, develops numerical methods for dynamical optimal transport, and bridges theoretical advances with Bayesian statistics. His work demonstrates particular innovation in trajectory inference for biological data and dependence measures for random measures, connecting pure mathematics with computational statistics. Recent publications reveal accelerating interdisciplinary impact, with 2024-2025 works extending optimal transport to machine learning (kernel methods, variational inference) and data science (opinion dynamics, single-cell analysis). This trajectory shows increasing methodological sophistication in handling measure-valued mappings and non-smooth geometries while maintaining computational tractability. Award recognition includes: Pacific Institute of Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship Lavenant actively mentors early-career researchers through formal advising relationships and collaborative projects. He currently supervises two PhD candidates (George Kanchaveli and Francesco Mascari, co-advised with Marta Catalano) and has guided Master's students including Mathis Hardion and Niccolò Bargellini. His teaching portfolio spans advanced analysis, optimization, and real analysis courses at Bocconi, reflecting his commitment to mathematical rigor in education. He operates within Bocconi's Decision Sciences ecosystem while maintaining international collaborations with researchers at UBC, Université Paris-Sud, and statistical groups worldwide. Current projects focus on entropy-based transport methods and geometric approaches to nonparametric statistics, positioning his work at the intersection of theoretical mathematics and data-driven applications.
Daniele Fusi is a Lecturer at the Department of Humanities, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, with a focus on Digital Humanities and Computational Philology. He teaches courses on XML databases and digital/public humanities, bridging classical studies with modern technology. University: Ca' Foscari University of Venice Department: Department of Humanities His research spans digital edition frameworks, metrical analysis, and XML markup for classical texts. Recent works explore AI applications in textual dynamics and forensic linguistic tools for legal corpora, demonstrating interdisciplinary approaches between humanities and computer science. Notable projects include: EpiSearch for ancient inscriptions Chiron framework for metrical analysis AttiChiari digital corpus He actively publishes in journals like Journal of Data Mining and Digital Humanities and Rivista di Cultura Classica e Medioevale , with over 20 years of contributions to digital philology, epigraphic databases, and computational linguistics.
Laura Emilia Maria Ricci is a Full Professor at the University of Pisa's Department of Computer Science, leading the Pisa Distributed Ledger Laboratory (Pisa DLT Lab). Her research focuses on blockchain technology, layer-2 solutions, cryptographic techniques, and self-sovereign identity frameworks. She coordinates the National PhD program in Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies and leads the PRIN research project 'AWESOME' (2023-2025). Ricci serves as an associate editor for the ACM Distributed Ledger Technologies: Research and Practice journal and the Springer Nature SN Computer Science section on blockchain innovations. Her research emphasizes blockchain scalability, transaction analysis, and social network dynamics. Recent work includes studies on NFT architectures, post-quantum cryptography in Ethereum, and query authentication protocols. She co-organized the 7th IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies (2025) and actively participates in global blockchain initiatives. Ricci has been awarded Best Paper Awards for her contributions to decentralized cloud scheduling, hybrid architectures for online games, and distributed virtual environments. She advises numerous PhD students and oversees grants like the H2020 'HELIOS' project. Ricci's academic roles include teaching blockchain, peer-to-peer systems, and web scraping at the University of Pisa. Her lab collaborates on projects such as the AQuSDIT grant (2024-2025) and the Ethereum Foundation's 'Cross Chain Authenticated Queries.' She also chairs conferences like IEEE Blockchain and co-edits special issues on blockchain-based pervasive systems and social media analysis.
Maria Letizia Marchegiani is an Assistant Professor at the University of Parma , affiliated with the Department of Engineering and Architecture . Previously, she held academic positions at Aalborg University (2019) and Oxford Robotics Institute (2014-2018). Education: PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from Sapienza - University of Rome , MSc/BEng in Computer Engineering Her research interests span signal processing , machine learning , and their applications to robotics , autonomous systems , intelligent transportation , and intelligent healthcare . She explores intersections between auditory perception , cognitive modeling , and energy-efficient wearable systems . Recent publications demonstrate expertise in acoustic event localization , ML-SDWSN architectures , thermal camera integration for vehicles, and privacy-preserving wearable systems . Her work addresses challenges in network reliability , urban soundscapes , and human-robot collaboration .
Alex Weissensteiner is a Full Professor of Quantitative Finance and Rector at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (unibz). He previously held academic positions at Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck, the University of Liechtenstein, and served as Professor of Financial Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark from 2013–2015. At unibz, he held leadership roles including Director of the Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Management (2015–2020) and Pro-Rector for Studies (2020–2024) before becoming Rector in 2024. His research focuses on Life-cycle asset allocation Parameter uncertainty in financial models Scenario generation for investment decisions Asset-liability management Market microstructure dynamics Information economics in financial markets Recent publications emphasize portfolio optimization under uncertainty, option-implied risk analysis, and agricultural risk management. His work combines theoretical finance with empirical validation, often applying quantitative methods to banking, insurance, and pension systems. Scientific recognition includes EU grants for "Understanding Pensions in Europe" (2016) and "Understanding Saving in Europe" (2019) Regular contributions to leading journals like Journal of Banking & Finance and Quantitative Finance Invited presentations at major finance conferences (Jackson Hole, AFA, DGF) As Rector, he maintains active research collaborations with scholars including Mogens Steffensen (University of Copenhagen), N. Branger, T. Dangl, and L. Garlappi. He serves on the editorial board of Risks journal and has consulted for provincial education policy bodies.
Giorgio Vinciguerra is a Research Fellow (RTD-A) at the Department of Computer Science of the University of Pisa since January 2023, and a member of the A³ Lab. His research focuses on compact data structures, data compression, and algorithm engineering, with a specialization in learned data structures that leverage machine learning to improve space-time trade-offs. He holds a PhD from the University of Pisa (2022), awarded the Best PhD thesis in Theoretical Computer Science by the Italian Chapter of EATCS. His academic journey includes postdoc research (2022), a visiting researcher role at KTH Royal Institute of Technology (2024), and Harvard University (2020). He has contributed to EU-funded projects like SoBigData.it and owns patents for innovations in data structure design. Key research interests include: Learned compression techniques for time series and string dictionaries Space-efficient indexing for massive datasets Algorithmic integration of machine learning into traditional data structures His work has been published in top venues including ICDE, Inf. Syst., and ACM Trans. Algorithms. Awards include the 2025 WSDM Outstanding Reviewer Award. He has co-supervised multiple theses on topics like adversarial query optimization and compressed indexing. Teaching roles include courses on programming, algorithms, and information retrieval at the University of Pisa. His software libraries (e.g., LeMonHash, PGM-index) are widely used in database systems and bioinformatics.
