Full professor of Mechanics of Solids and Structures, University of Bologna (since 2007).
since 2022: Vicepresident of Italian Research Center on High-Performance Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing – ICSC (supercomputing-icsc.it).
since 2021: President of CINECA (cineca.it).
since 2021: President of International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development – IFAB (ifabfoundation.org).
since 2015: Benedictine Academician, Academy of Sciences of Bologna Institute (accademiascienzebologna.it).
Independent member of the Board of Directors and the Advisory Board of some companies.
Previous Positions
2019 – 2023: Board member of European University Association (eua.eu).
2015 – 2021: Rector of Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna (unibo.it).
2017 – 2021: Board member of Italian University Rectors Conference (crui.it).
2015 – 2021: President of Federico Zeri Foundation (fondazionezeri.unibo.it).
2015 – 2021: President of Bologna Business School (bbs.unibo.eu).
2016 – 2021: Governing Council member of the Observatory of the Magna Charta Universitatum (magna-charta.org).
Education
1994 – 1998: Ph.D. in Structural Mechanics, University of Bologna.
1994: Master degree in Civil Engineering cum laude, University of Bologna.
Honors and Awards
Turrita d'argento, City of Bologna; Medal with the Seal of Caterina Sforza, City of Forlì; Onorificenza City of Ravenna; Commendatore, Ordine al Merito, Italian Republic; Grande Ufficiale, Ordem de Rio Branco, Federative Republic of Brazil; Cavaliere di Gran Croce, Ordine di Sant'Agata, Republic of San Marino; Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion, Indiana University; Albo d'oro, City of Perugia.
The research activity is focused on various aspects of Structural Mechanics and Computational Mechanics, encompassing both theoretical developments and applied contributions across multiple engineering domains. Main research topics include: modeling and simulation, coupled problems, computational wind engineering, structural health monitoring, historical masonry structures, and advanced materials.
He has been involved, in various capacities, in numerous national and European research projects. He has served as chair and member of organizing and scientific committees for several national and international conferences, and has acted as expert reviewer for national research evaluation agencies as well as for the European Commission.
Author of over 80 articles in peer-reviewed international journals and more than 200 conference proceedings.