Personale docente

Professor of Solids and Structural Mechanics
Director of graduate studies in Industrial Engineering at the University of Parma, Italy
Named in the 2020-2021-2022-2023 Stanford University-Elsevier list of the World’s Top 2% Scientists
(field: Mechanical Engineering & Transport)

RESEARCH AND ACTIVITIES
Brittle and quasi-brittle materials, with emphasis on structural glass;
Fracture and damage mechanics;
Lightweight and special structures;
Theoretical mechanics.
Inventor of two patents.
Licensed professional engineer and international consultant.

BIBLIOMETRIC DATA
Publications > 200. Most significant: >160 international journal paper ISI (Scopus, WOS).
Scopus- Documents: 178, h-index: 27, Citations: 2800
Google Scholar-Documents 264, h-index: 31, Citations: 3940
WOS- Documents: 161, h-index: 26, Citations: 2514.

EDUCATION
1994: PhD in Structural Engineering, University of Florence.
1990: Civil Engineering Master Degree (structural engineering), University of Pisa (Italy), cum Laude.

CURRENT and PREVIOUS ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS (in Italy and abroad)
2017-2021: Adjunct Professor of solids and structural mechanics, University of Houston, Houston, TX USA
2014-: Research Associate Construction Technology Institute - National Research Council of Italy (ITC-CNR), San
Giuliano Milanese, Milan, Italy
2004-: Full Professor of Structural Mechanics, University of Parma.
2002-2004: Associate Professor of Structural Mechanics, University of Parma.
1997- 2001: Assistant Professor of Structural Mechanics, University of Parma.
1995-1996: Post-doc, University of Pisa.
1994-1995. Post-doc, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.

EXPERIENCES and TEMPORARY POSITIONS in other INSTITUTIONS
September 2020- November 2020 and September 2021- November 2021. Adjunct Professor, Department of Mechanics and Control, Peter The Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 St. Petersburg, Russia. December 2019. MTS visiting Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of
Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
December 2018 and June 2019. Visiting Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Graduate School, Japan.
July 2018. MTS visiting Professor at the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
December 2017-February 2018. Visiting Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Graduate School, Japan.
July 2017. MTS visiting Professor at the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
October 2016-November 2016. Visiting professor at the University of São Paulo at São Carlos, Brazil.
October 2015- April 2016. Visiting Professor, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, TX, USA.
2004-2000: Visits and scientific collaborations in foreign institutions, among which: Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (USA); Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (USA); DuPont de Nemours & Co. Inc. Research Center, Wilmington De (USA); Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley (USA); Department of Mathematics, University of California at Berkeley (USA); Graduate Aeronautical Laboratories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (USA);
Center for non-linear analysis, Carnagie Mellon University, Pittsburgh (USA); Laboratorie de Méchanique et Technologie dell’École Normale Supérieure de Cachan (Fr); VTT Technology, Espoo (Fi); Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa (I).
2000: Visiting Assistant Professor of Mechanics, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota.
2000-2002: Research fellow, CNR, Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo M. Picone, Rome.
1999-2002: Researcher Minnesota Supercomputing Institute ii the international program: Large Deformations in non-linear elasticity and the Thermomechanics of propagating phase boundaries.
1992. Visiting graduate student, Institut de Statique et Structures, IBAP Béton armé et Précontraint, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH); Büro für Baudynamik GMBH, Leonhardt Ändra und Partners, Stuttgard (D).

EDITORIAL ACTIVITY
2020:-. Associate editor of Frontiers in Mechanics of Materials
(https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/materials/sections/mechanics-of-mat.... )
2016:-. Member of the Editorial Board of the ASCE Journal of Engineering Mechanics
(http://ascelibrary.org/page/jenmdt/editorialboard);
2016:-. Member of the board of editors of the Journal of the Mechanics of Materials and Structures (http://msp.org/jomms/about/journal/editorial.html).
2006:-. Member of the Editorial board of the Journal of Elasticity (http://link.springer.com/journal/10659).
2012:-. Member of the scientific committee of Structural Magazine (http://www.structuralweb.it/cms/it4-magazine.asp)

PRINCIPAL FINANCED RESEARCH PROGRAMS as COORDINATOR
2022-2023. Carbon Hub Grant - Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. Advanced modelling of CNTFs and CNTF-based cables for structural applications. Responsible of the research unit University of Parma, Italy.
2021-2022. Carbon Hub Grant - Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. Optimal design and analysis of CNT fiber based structures. Responsible of the research unit University of Parma, Italy.
2022-2024. Dipartimento Protezione Civile – Consorzio ReLUIS (Laboratories University Network of seismic engineering). Coordinator of the research unit University of Parma, Italy, for research project on historic masonry structures, supported by the Italian Dipartimento della Protezione Civile.
2018-2021. Dipartimento Protezione Civile – Consorzio ReLUIS (Laboratories University Network of seismic engineering). Coordinator of the research unit University of Parma, Italy, for research project on historic masonry structures, supported by the Italian Dipartimento della Protezione Civile.
2017-2020. Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research. Progetti di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale (PRIN). Advanced mechanical modelling of new materials and structures for the solution of Horizon 2020 challenges. Member of the research unit of Modena-Reggio Emilia University, Italy.
2012-2016. General coordinator of the research project "Innovative steel-glass composite structures for high performance building skins (S+G)", supported within the Research Fund For Coal and Steel RFCS program, complementary to Horizon 2020.
2014-2015. Coordinator of the unit University of Parma in the european project "Steel-based applications in earthquake-prone areas (Steel-Earth)" supported within the Research Fund For Coal and Steel RFCS program, complementary to Horizon 2020.
2014-2017. Coordinator the research Unit University of Parma in the project DPC-ReLUIS 2014-2017.
2009. Epicture: innovative high-technology envelopes: thermomechanical performance, reliability, safety, biocompatibility and presetting for renewable energy. Project for a new company activity supported by the Global Grant Spinner 2013 “Actions for the qualification of human resources in research and technological innovation”, IV phase of the Operative program of the Regione Emilia-Romagna.
2006-2007. Experimental-theoretical study on fracture mechanics of glass. Strain-field measurements in flexed notched panels with crack-opening control using holograhic techniques such as "Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry". Modeling in non-linear elasticity theory and fracture mechanics. Financed by the Italian Ministry of Education and Technology under the PRIN program.
2004-2005. Feasibility study in support of the construction of aeolian-generators' supports using poles produced by tecnopali. Supported by Tecnopali SPA, Italy.
2004. Novel structural conception of façades and domes made of laminated glass. Supported by CoopSette SCRL, Teleya Department, Italy.
1999-2001. Developing Long Term Durability of Marble Facades. Jointly supported by the European Community and by the City of Helsinki under the Raphael program.
1997-2000. Characterization of Mechanical Properties and Damage of Natural Building Stones in Historical Monuments. Supported by the European Community under the Standard Measurement and Testing program.

SPIN OFF
Founder, president and CEO of Spaceglass S.R.L., a spin-off of the University of Parma, established in 2023. Activity: Design and production of transparent composites for special applications, in particular for space stations.

TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER AND PARTICIPATION IN TECHNICAL COMMITTEES
Italian delegate in the CEN-TC-250 SC11 for the preparation of the new Eurocode on structural glass.
Member of the Project Team “Structural Glass” for “Phase I tasks for the development of the 2nd generation of EN Eurocodes".
Delegate of Superior Council of Public Works in the Structural Engineering Committee U73 of UNI.
Coordinator of U73-SC11, mirror committee WG on structural glass of UNI.
Member of the committee in charge of the preparation and analysis of technical standards for buildings and civil engineering works of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR).
Coordinator of the Working Group in charge of writing the technical document CNR-DT-210 “Instructions for the design, construction and control of buildings with structural glass elements" of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR).

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
2011-; Vice-president of ATIV - Italian Association of Glass Technologies.
2017-: Member of AIMETA, Italian Association of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics.
2000-: Member of the Laboratoire Lagrange, Italian – French association for research in the field of mechanics.
1999-2004: Member of ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers).
1999-2017: Member of the Society of Natural Philosophy.
1997-2000. Member of the IABSE (International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.

MAIN COURSES TAUGHT IN FOREIGN INSTITUTIONS
2020 and 2021. Structural mechanics of brittle materials. Master program in “Continuum Mechanics: fundamentals and applications”, and Mechanics and “Mathematical modelling”, Peter The Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 St.Petersburg, Russia (20 hours).
2016: An introduction to the design of structural glass (Graduate course 20 hours). University of São Paulo at São Carlos, Brazil.
2016: An Introduction to phase field models (Graduate course 20 hours). University of Houston, TX, USA.
2000: AEM-2012 Dynamics (undergraduate course 60 hours). Department of Aerospace and Mechanics, University of Minnesota, USA.
2000: AEM-2012-ext Dynamics Extension (undergraduate course 60 hours). Department of Aerospace and Mechanics, University of Minnesota, USA.