Stefano Polenta is an Associate Professor of General and Social Pedagogy at the University of Macerata's Department of Education, Cultural Heritage, and Tourism Sciences. He holds significant institutional roles, including President of the Education Science (L-19) and Pedagogical Sciences (LM-85) programs since 2022. His research focuses on relational dynamics in education, counseling, and the interplay between art and self-construction, employing psychoanalytic and complexity epistemology frameworks. Polenta has authored and co-authored numerous publications, including monographs like Libertà, autorità e democrazia in Erich Fromm (2008) and articles exploring aesthetic thinking, transcultural education, and pandemic-era academic adaptations. His work bridges theory and practice, addressing contemporary challenges in pedagogy and societal integration. He has led or participated in significant projects such as the EU-funded SIT (Trust in Educational Interactions) and TRANS-URBAN-EU-CHINA (urban sustainability). His teaching includes courses on educational consulting, psychopedagogy, and supervision, reflecting his commitment to teacher training and educational innovation.
Baldassarre D'Elia is a Researcher affiliated with the Department of Bioengineering at University of Roma Tre, associated with BioLab³. He holds a MSc in Electrical Engineering (1992) and PhD from Sapienza University of Rome (1996), followed by postdoctoral research there (2000). Since 2010, he has been involved in the Bioengineering Doctoral School at Roma Tre. His research focuses on neuroengineering applications in rehabilitation, particularly using haptic systems to aid post-stroke and Parkinson's patients. He explores movement regularity metrics in elderly populations through haptic feedback analysis. Education: MSc (Electrical Engineering, Sapienza 1992), PhD (Sapienza 1996), Postdoc (Sapienza 2000), current involvement in Roma Tre's Bioengineering Doctoral School. Research emphasizes haptic platforms for motor learning, quantifying movement parameters using kinematic data. His work bridges clinical needs with engineering solutions, addressing both neurological disorders and geriatric rehabilitation challenges. Publications (2012–2016) highlight studies on haptic feedback efficacy, comparison of visual/haptic modalities, and development of analytical frameworks for rehabilitation metrics. No awards explicitly mentioned but active in international conferences (ECCE, ICNR, Mediterranean Conferences). Associated with BioLab³, focusing on interdisciplinary projects combining neuroengineering and clinical applications. No formal advising role documented in provided texts.
Barbara Carminati is a Professor at the Department of Theoretical and Applied Science, University of Insubria, Italy. Her work focuses on security, privacy, and trust management in decentralized systems, particularly online social networks, IoT, and emerging technologies like blockchain and digital twins. She has contributed extensively to access control, risk assessment, and collaborative frameworks. Her research spans trust modeling , privacy-preserving mechanisms , and malware detection , with a strong emphasis on decentralized social networks and UAV security . She actively explores the application of blockchain for secure workflows and information sharing. Recent publications highlight her engagement with large language models for security optimization, IoT botnet detection , and metadata leakage analysis . Her work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations in cybersecurity, social network management, and edge computing. Contact: barbara.carminati@uninsubria.it
Maria Elisa Fina is a Researcher (RtdB) at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, affiliated with the Department of Comparative Linguistic and Cultural Studies and the Interdepartmental School of Economics, Languages and Entrepreneurship for International Exchanges. Her work focuses on multimodal analysis of cultural heritage communication, translation studies, and audiovisual translation. She teaches courses in translation technologies, post-editing, and audiovisual translation at both undergraduate and master's levels. Education: Bachelor's in Literary and Technical-Scientific Translation (University of Salento, 2011) PhD in Linguistic, Historical-Literary, and Intercultural Studies (Ca' Foscari University, 2016) Research Interests: Multimodal analysis of audio guides, intersemiotic translation, museum communication for children, digital storytelling, and accessibility in cultural mediation. She has contributed to projects like DIETALY (PRIN 2020) and iNEST Tourism, exploring translation in cultural heritage contexts. Notable Achievements: Winner of the AIA/Carocci PhD Prize 2017 for best PhD thesis in Anglistica Published Investigating Effective Audio Guiding (Carocci, 2018) Recipient of the 2021 Ca' Foscari Excellence Award Teaching: Courses include Translation and Post-Editing Technologies , Audiovisual Translation and Audiodescription , and Translation Technologies: Tools and Methods . She emphasizes practical skills in translation technology and digital tools. Lab/Team Affiliations: Collaborates with research groups on accessibility in cultural heritage, digital humanities, and language mediation. Active in editorial boards of Trans-Kata and Le Simplegadi .
Franz Fischer is an Associate Professor of Medieval and Humanistic Latin Literature and Director of the Venice Centre for Digital and Public Humanities (VeDPH) at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. He holds a Ph.D. in Medieval Latin from the University of Cologne and has extensive experience in coordinating Digital Humanities projects, including the EU-funded DiXiT network. His research focuses on textual criticism, manuscript studies, and the digitization of cultural heritage. Education: Ph.D. in Medieval Latin (University of Cologne, 2007), studies in History, Latin, and Italian at Cologne and Rome. Professional roles include postdoctoral research at the Royal Irish Academy and coordination at the Cologne Center for eHumanities. Research interests span Digital Humanities, medieval Latin literature, and public humanities. Recent work includes generative AI applications in scholarly editions, models for textual dynamics in Goethe studies, and the HTRogène corpus for handwritten text recognition. Professional services include editorships of magazén and Digital Medievalist , leadership in the Digital Medievalist Community, and peer review for journals like Scholarly Editing . He has advised over 30 projects, including the Compendium Historiae edition and the Magica Levantina papyri project. VeDPH and the Research Institute for Digital and Cultural Heritage host his lab activities, focusing on interdisciplinary digital humanities initiatives.
Alessandro Evangelista is an Assistant Professor at the Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy, within the Department of Mechanics, Mathematics & Management. His scientific-disciplinary sector is ING-IND/15, focusing on Design methods for industrial engineering. His research integrates Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality technologies into industrial and training contexts, with strong attention to ergonomics, safety, and human factors. Research Interests Virtual Reality (VR) and immersive simulation for industrial training and safety Augmented Reality (AR) interface design and ergonomic assessment Mixed Reality (MR) applications in product lifecycle and medical prosthesis design Human-computer interaction, cognitive workload, and age-related performance in XR systems Industry 4.0 smart maintenance and real-time data visualization Recent works repeatedly explore how immersive technologies can enhance learning outcomes, safety behaviors, and user experience across manufacturing, retail, maritime navigation and healthcare domains. Studies often adopt comparative user evaluations, ergonomic assessment protocols (e.g., RULA), and multidimensional performance metrics. Publications Trend From 2020 to 2025 Evangelista authored numerous peer-reviewed articles concentrated on immersive technologies. Major themes include: (1) VR training effectiveness for confined spaces and industrial tasks, (2) AR visualization for maintenance and navigation, (3) ergonomic and age-related factors in XR, and (4) application of cinematic VR for safety attitude change and mental-health rehabilitation. His output evidences systematic review work, empirical user studies, and tool prototyping, positioning him at the intersection of design engineering and interactive technologies. Scientific Awards & Grants No specific awards or funded projects are mentioned in the supplied material. Advising & Labs No explicit list of students or research group descriptions are provided; therefore advising activity and laboratory affiliations cannot be detailed at present.
Giuseppe Pascazio serves as a Full Professor in the Department of Mechanics, Mathematics & Management at the Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy. His research spans computational fluid dynamics with dual focus on aerospace applications and biomedical engineering, particularly in hypersonic flow phenomena and microwave ablation technologies for cancer therapy. His primary research interests include fluid dynamics, computational methods for high-enthalpy flows, thermochemical non-equilibrium modeling, turbulent boundary layer analysis, and biomedical device optimization. Pascazio develops advanced numerical techniques including high-order schemes, state-to-state kinetics implementations, and GPU-accelerated solvers to address complex flow physics in atmospheric entry and medical applications. His work bridges fundamental gas dynamics with practical engineering solutions for spacecraft thermal protection and minimally invasive cancer treatments. Analysis of his recent publications (2021-2025) reveals three dominant research thrusts: (1) High-fidelity simulation of hypersonic flows with detailed chemistry using state-to-state kinetics, (2) Development of robust numerical methods for shock-capturing in thermochemically non-equilibrium flows, and (3) Biomedical applications focusing on microwave ablation probe design and microcapsule transport in vascular systems. His aerospace work emphasizes atmospheric reentry physics while biomedical research targets cancer therapy optimization. Pascazio has participated in significant research projects including "PrInCE" (Innovative Processes for Energy Conversion) and "INNOVHEAD" (Advanced technologies for reduction of polluting emissions in Heavy Duty engines). His collaborative work involves industrial partnerships in aerospace and medical device sectors, though specific grant details beyond project names aren't provided. He maintains active research output with over 50 publications demonstrating consistent contributions to high-speed aerodynamics and biomedical fluid dynamics.
Daniele Toninelli is an Associate Professor of Economic Statistics (SECS-S/03) at the University of Bergamo's Department of Economics, where he also serves as Director of the 'Data Analyst for Strategic Decisions' program, Internship Manager for the department, and member of the School of Economics and Management's Joint Teacher-Student Commission. His educational background includes a PhD in Marketing for Business Strategies (University of Bergamo, 2009), Master's in Statistics for Market Research (University of Milan-Bicocca, 2004), and Degree in Statistical and Economic Sciences (University of Milan-Bicocca, 2003). Toninelli's research focuses on: Survey and web survey methodology design and optimization Integration of big data for economic and social indicators Development of price indexes and composite indicators Social media analytics for economic measurement His work bridges statistical theory with applications in labor markets, sustainability metrics, and environmental data analysis. Teaching activities encompass undergraduate and graduate courses including Economic Statistics, Quantitative Methods for Business Data Analysis, Advanced Business Statistics, and specialized 'Data Skills' modules covering visualization, survey methods, and SAS certification preparation. International research collaborations include visiting positions at Statistics Canada (2008-2013), University of Ottawa (2012-2013), VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava (2012-2013), RECSM at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (2014), and guest lectures at University of Ljubljana (2018). He previously served on the management committee of the WEBDATANET network (COST Action IS1004). Professional experience includes roles at PiTre Milan, IBM Semea/Celestica, and Multiplex Arcadia, applying statistical expertise in industrial settings.
Eleonora Bilotta is a Full Professor of General Psychology at the Department of Physics, University of Calabria, Italy. She is the coordinator of the Ph.D. Course in Psychology of Programming and Artificial Intelligence and vice-coordinator of the Ph.D. Course in Science, Engineering of Environment, Construction, and Energy. Her research spans interdisciplinary fields such as cognitive psychology, educational technologies, artificial life, and mathematical modeling of behavior. Prof. Bilotta has over 150 publications and has contributed to journals like Complexity and International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos . She led initiatives like the COMSON project (EU-funded) for e-learning platforms and directed the Evolutionary Systems Group (ESG). She also organized conferences such as the International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior and the Workshop on Artificial Life. Her work bridges science and art, leveraging chaos theory for creative design and educational tools. She collaborates globally, including with institutions like Bergische Universität Wuppertal and Chapman University. Her labs focus on cognitive science, modeling, and simulation, emphasizing innovation in education and technology.
Francesca Nonis is an Assistant Professor and Fixed-term researcher at Politecnico di Torino's Department of Management and Production Engineering (DIGEP). She is an invited member of both the College of Architecture and Design and the College of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Automotive Engineering. As part of the 3D LAB research group, she contributes to cutting-edge research in human-computer interaction applications and 3D data visualization. Dr. Nonis specializes in Facial Expression Recognition (FER) using Deep Learning techniques, with a focus on 3D data applications for human-computer interaction. Her research spans multiple domains including virtual reality, affective computing, and cultural heritage preservation. She has developed methodologies for real-time facial expression recognition and has contributed to building spontaneous 3D facial expression databases that have advanced the field of emotion recognition. Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward interdisciplinary research that bridges computer science, psychology, and cultural applications. She has made significant contributions to metaverse platforms for cultural heritage preservation, user engagement studies using EEG in museum settings, and the development of affective virtual reality environments. Her work consistently applies advanced computer vision and deep learning techniques to solve real-world problems in human-computer interaction. Dr. Nonis has co-authored a national patent titled "Methodology for real-time facial expression recognition" with Federica Marcolin, Luca Ulrich, and Enrico Vezzetti. Her teaching portfolio includes Industrial Technical Drawing and Modeling Design courses across multiple engineering disciplines including Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical and Food Engineering, and Design and Communication programs. As a core member of the 3D LAB research group, Dr. Nonis collaborates on projects involving facial morphology studies, innovative surgical guides, augmented reality applications, and e-learning solutions. The lab's work leverages 3D sensors, augmented and virtual reality, and machine learning techniques to develop applications for medical, security, and marketing domains.
Marco Grangetto serves as Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Turin, coordinating research in image processing and computer vision. His expertise spans wavelets, image/video coding, data compression, error resilient video coding, and biomedical image processing, with significant contributions to ISO JPEG2000 standardization and editorial roles in IEEE Transactions on Multimedia. His educational background includes a PhD in Electrical and Communications Engineering (2003) and MSc in Telecommunications Engineering (1999), both from Politecnico di Torino. His research integrates Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning with medical imaging and fundamental compression theory , producing innovations in neural network pruning, capsule networks, and entropy-based models. Recent work focuses on Covid-19 diagnosis from chest X-rays and efficient 3D scene modeling. His publication trends reveal dual trajectories: applied medical AI (Covid-19 diagnostics, lung cancer segmentation) and theoretical advances (learned compression, contrastive learning, bias mitigation). This bridges clinical validation with information-theoretic foundations, particularly in resource-constrained environments. Scientific recognition includes: Premio Optime by Unione Industriale di Torino (2000) Fulbright Grant for research at UC San Diego (2001) He maintains leadership through IEEE editorial positions, ISO standardization participation, and MPAI membership. His research group develops medical datasets (UniToChest, UniToPatho) while advancing neural network efficiency for clinical deployment. Current projects focus on entropy minimization techniques and unbiased representation learning for healthcare applications.
Grazia Ragone is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the IVU Laboratory , Department of Computer Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro. Holding a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from the University of Sussex and a Master's in Psychological Research Methods, she specializes in Usability, User Experience (UX), and Human-Centered AI , focusing on systems that integrate human factors for enhanced technology interaction. Academic Background: PhD in Human-Computer Interaction (University of Sussex, UK), Master’s in Psychological Research Methods (University of Bari) Key Research Areas: Social Motor Synchrony, Child-Computer Interaction, Trustworthy AI, Embodied Interaction, Autism Research, Usability Engineering Her recent work on the Future Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) project develops new metrics for human-AI symbiosis. She has presented at major conferences like Interaction Design and Children (IDC) and Advanced Visual Interfaces (AVI) , with publications in ACM Transactions and Springer LNCS. Scientific awards include the Microsoft Research Best Student Research Competition (2021) and IDC Conference Best Work in Progress (2020). Grazia actively contributes to academic governance as a member of ACM SIGCHI and SIGCHI Italy , and has organized international conferences like INTERACT 2021. She has delivered workshops on Child-Centered AI at institutions including the University of Delft and Sussex University.
Dr. Natacha Sarah Alexandra Niemants is an Associate Professor at the Department of Interpretation and Translation of the University of Bologna in Forlì since 2021. She holds a PhD in Comparative Languages and Cultures from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and serves as Director's Delegate for Orientation. Her academic affiliation spans multiple institutions including Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon through research collaborations. Scientific-disciplinary sector: L-LIN/04 (Language and Translation – French) / FRAN-01/B French Language, Translation and Linguistics Member of Doctoral College in Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies Member of Association Italiana di Linguistica Applicata (AItLA) Executive Committee (2021-2016) Her research focuses on interpreting in healthcare, asylum and protection contexts, interpreter training methodologies, spoken language transcription and analysis, and multimodal communication. Through projects like ReACTMe, Smarterp, Linguacuisine, and Lancook, she has explored clinical interpreting dynamics, medical dialogue structures, and technology-assisted language learning. Professionally, she has served as referee for journals like MediAzioni and Journal of Legal Discourse , and contributed to conference proceedings on topics ranging from medical interpretation to digital kitchen language learning. Her awards include national and European research grants, and she maintains active roles in research groups Centro AIM and Laboratoire ICAR. As an educator, she emphasizes collaborative learning and has developed innovative approaches like the Conversation Analytic Role-Play Method (CARM) for interpreter training. She supervises thesis work and provides regular office hours both in-person and via Teams for students at the University of Bologna's French Studio 1 in Palazzo Montanari.
Sandro Bartolini serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Information Engineering and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Siena, Italy, where he teaches advanced courses in computer architecture and parallel programming while leading cutting-edge research in high-performance computing systems. His academic journey began with a cum laude Laurea in Computer Engineering followed by a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from Università di Pisa. Education: PhD in Computer Science and Engineering, Università di Pisa Laurea in Computer Engineering (cum laude), Università di Pisa Research Focus: His work centers on photonic interconnects for chip multiprocessors , energy-efficient software optimization for multi-core/GPU architectures, and performance-portable parallel programming models . Current investigations span cryptographic acceleration, blockchain algorithms, and hardware/software co-design for emerging computing paradigms, with strong emphasis on practical implementations bridging theoretical advances and real-world applications. Publication Trends: Recent publications (2019-2023) reveal three dominant threads: (1) Photonic network innovations addressing energy bottlenecks in chip multiprocessors, (2) The PHAST library ecosystem enabling seamless CPU/GPU programming across domains from autonomous vehicles to UAV navigation, and (3) Hardware accelerator designs for convolutional networks and cryptographic workloads. These works consistently target performance-portability challenges in heterogeneous computing environments. Grants and Collaborations: As principal investigator for the Italian Ministry-funded PHOTONICA project, he established international research partnerships with Murcia University, Columbia University, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, while securing industry collaborations with STMicroelectronics, Intel Munich, IBM, and IMEC. He has also managed complex IT system deployments for Siemens Italy, RAI (Italian public broadcasting), and SpaceDys. Academic Leadership: Bartolini serves as Associate Editor for the Eurasip Journal of Embedded Computing and actively contributes to the European HiPEAC network. His research group at Siena maintains strong industry ties for technology transfer, particularly in photonic interconnect validation and parallel programming frameworks for next-generation computing systems.
Anna Pellegrino is a Confirmed Associate Professor in the Department of Energy (DENERG) at the Polytechnic University of Turin, where she also serves as a Member of the FULL Interdepartmental Center - Future Urban Legacy Lab. Her academic career spans over three decades with continuous involvement in doctoral education since 2003 across various research programs including Architectural Heritage, Technological Innovation for the Built Environment, and Energy. Her research focuses on the intersection of lighting engineering, cultural heritage conservation, and sustainable building design. Key areas include daylighting systems, energy demand for lighting, light and human factors, lighting controls, and visual comfort assessment. Her work bridges technical building physics with cultural and human dimensions of the built environment, particularly addressing how lighting affects health, wellbeing, and heritage conservation. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward interdisciplinary research connecting environmental quality assessment with human health outcomes. Her work increasingly incorporates sensor technologies for monitoring indoor environmental quality while maintaining a consistent focus on lighting applications in both architectural heritage and contemporary sustainable design contexts. The research demonstrates progression from fundamental lighting technologies toward holistic building performance evaluation. Full Member - Illumination Engineering Society (IES), United States (2020-) Member of the Executive Committee - Italian Lighting Association AIDI, Italy (2018-) Full Member - Italian Technical Physics Association, Italy (2016-) Full Member - International Commission for Illumination (CIE), Austria (2010-) Full Member - Italian Lighting Association AIDI, Italy (1994-) Professor Pellegrino actively supervises doctoral students in Energy and Architectural Heritage programs while leading numerous research initiatives. Her grant portfolio includes competitive national research projects, European Union collaborations, and commercial consulting contracts with municipal governments and private sector clients. Current projects focus on biophilic lighting systems, public lighting optimization, and energy-efficient building retrofits. She also participates in significant collaborative agreements with municipal entities including the Municipality of Lagnasco and the City of Turin. She leads research activities within the TEBE Research Group (DENERG) and collaborates with the LAMSA Laboratory for Analysis and Modeling of Environmental Systems (DAD). Her team conducts field studies, develops monitoring methodologies, and creates practical solutions for lighting applications in heritage conservation and sustainable urban development. Current work emphasizes the relationship between lighting environments and human health outcomes in both interior and exterior contexts.
