I was born in Bari, the 28th of July 1973, and live there.

I'm currently assistant professor at the Politecnico di Bari (Technical University of Bari), at the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture.

My academic history in short

2013-2019

National Scientific Qualification to Associate Professor in the Sector “08/AI - Idraulica, Idrologia, Costruzioni Idrauliche e Marittime” .

12/2008 - today

Researcher at the 2nd Engineering Faculty of the Politecnico of Bari.

01/2007 – 01/2010

Honorary Research Assistant at the School of Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics University of Exeter, UK.

06/2005 – 06/2008

Research Fellow at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department - Politecnico of Bari: project entitled "Management of hydraulic systems: evolutionary multi-objective optimization techniques and data-driven management of hydraulic systems."

01/2002 – 12/2004

PhD student in Environmental Engineering (XVII course) at the II Engineering Faculty of the Politecnico of Bari. Topic: data-driven modelling techniques applied to environmental hydraulic phenomena. Visiting Ph.D. student at the Strategic Research Department of the former WL|Delft Hydraulics (actually Deltares) in Delft (Netherlands), and at the Centre for Water Systems, University of Exeter (UK). PhD obtained on the 3rd May, 2005, thesis entitled "Environmental modelling by multi-objective techniques and neuro-evolutionary computing", supervisors: prof. Orazio Giustolisi, prof. Vladan Babovic (University of Singapore).

06/2000 – 09/ 2001

Research fellow at the Water Engineering Department - Politecnico of Bari, under the agreement between the Politecnico of Bari and Centraltubi SpA: experimental data acquisition and processing, preparing manuals and test reports.

April 2000

Master degree in Civil Engineering at Politecnico of Bari: thesis about the hydrodynamics of urban drainage pipes with artificial internal macro-roughness.

My research activity

2013-2016

Principal investigator for the local RU “Advanced analysis tools for leakage management in urban water distri-bution networks.” - Programmi di Ricerca Scientifica di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale – PRIN2012 – National principal investigator: Dr. Silvia Meniconi.

2009-2012

Investigator in the local RU “Intercultural landscapes. Methodologies for benchmarking. Urban fabric and build-ing types in the Adriatic cross-border context.” - Programmi di Ricerca Scientifica di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale – PRIN2008 - MIUR. Principal investigator: Prof. Attilio Petruccioli.

2006-2008

Investigator in the local RU “Integrative Systems and the Boundary Problem – ISBP” - supported by the Euro-pean Union’s Framework Programme 6 - New and Emerging Science and Technology (NEST) Pathfinder initia-tive, NEST-2005-Path-CUL (Contract 043199), n. 043199/STREP/2007.

2007-2008

Investigator in the RU of DICA “Optimization of information-intensive processes: applications to the ICT and environment sectors” (PE106) – Regione Puglia, Explorative Projects.

2006-2010

Investigator in the local RU “Multi-objective evolutionary optimization and data-driven techniques for water system management” – Internationalization of the Italian University system: Interlink – MIUR (Prot. II04CHLB4D).

Research topics:

• Hydroinformatics: application of e techniques to environmental systems and to support analysis, planning and management of hydraulic systems:Data-ModellingSoft-Computing
• Artificial Neural Networks (ANN-MOGA XL)
• Support Vector Machines
• Genetic Programming
• Evolutionary Polynomial Regression (EPR-MOGA XL)

• Study of rainfall-runoff phenomena into environmental systems, such as:
• rivers;
• ephemeral streams;
• groundwater;

• Advanced modelling of water distribution networks:
• Simulation of devices in pressurized hydraulic networks (tanks, control valves, pumps, etc.);
• Simulation of demands components in pressurized hydraulic networks (indoor, outdoor);
• Simulation of water losses in pressurized hydraulic networks;
• Simulation of hydraulic behavior of in pressurized hydraulic networks under uncertainty;

• Planning and management of water distribution networks:
• Advanced design of pressurized hydraulic networks;
• Mechanical and hydraulic reliability analysis of water distribution networks;
• Seismic vulnerability analysis of water distribution networks;
• Analysis and development of performance indicators for asset management;
• Multi-objective optimization for decision support:
• Automatic design of water distribution networks;
• Rehabilitation planning for water distribution networks;
• Optimal operational management of water distribution networks.

Since 2001, the research activity produced more than 80 scientific papers, including 24 articles on international peer-reviewed journals.

Member of the International Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Hydroinformatics – HIC since 2012

Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Hydroinformatics (IWA Publishing) since 2012

Reviewer for many international peer-reviewed journals, as for example the Journal of Hydroinformatics (IWA Publishing) and the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management (ASCE).

• Leakage management: WDNetXL Pressure Control module
• Transient effects of self-adjustment of pressure reducing valves
• Water distribution network analysis accounting for different background leakage models
• Leakage management: Planning remote real time controlled pressure reduction in Oppegård municipality
• Hydraulic system modelling: Background leakage model calibration in Oppegård municipality
• WDNetXL: Hydraulic and topology analysis integration and features
• Optimal water distribution network design accounting for valve shutdowns
• Vulnerability assessment of water distribution networks under seismic actions
• A strategy for real options from multi-objective optimal design
• Seismic reliability assessment of water distribution networks
• Energy saving and leakage control in Water Distribution Networks: A joint research project between Italy and China
• Study on relationships between climate-related covariates and pipe bursts using evolutionary-based modelling
• Battle of background leakage assessment for Water Networks (BBLAWN) at WDSA conference 2014
• Evolutionary modeling of longshore sediment transport
• Accounting for local water storages in assessing WDN supply capacity
• Supporting decision on energy vs. asset cost optimization in drinking water distribution networks
• WQNetXL: A MS-excel water quality system tool for WDNs
• Evolutionary modeling to evaluate the shear behavior of circular reinforced concrete columns
• Modeling local water storages delivering customer demands in WDN models
• Evolutionary data-modelling of an innovative low reflective vertical quay
• WDNETXL: dalla ricerca italiana uno strumento per la diagnosi e la gestione dei sistemi idrici
• La modellazione idraulica delle grandi reti idriche. Introduzione a un metodo computazionalmente efficiente: EGGA
• Assessing climate change and asset deterioration impacts on water distribution networks: demand-driven or pressure-driven network modeling?
• Simulating floods in ephemeral streams in Southern Italy by full-2d hydraulic models
• Operational optimization: Water Losses vs. Energy Costs
• Optimal water distribution network design accounting for valve shutdowns
• Accounting for directional devices in WDN modeling
• Computationally efficient modeling method for large size water network analysis
• Battle of the Water Calibration Networks (BWCN)
• Data-mining approach to investigate sedimentation features in combined sewer overflows
• Generalizing WDN simulation models to variable tank levels
• Water distribution networks pressure-driven analysis using EGGA
• Scour depth modelling by a multi-objective evolutionary paradigm
• Recenti Sviluppi nella Simulazione Idraulica delle Reti in Pressione
• An integrated modeling approach for the assessment of land use change effects on wastewater infrastructure
• Asset deterioration analysis using multi-utility data and multi-objective data mining techniques
• Deterministic vs. Stochastic Design of Water Distribution Networks
• Determination of friction factor for corrugated drains
• Ensemble Modelling by Bootstrap technique
• Development of rehabilitation plans for water mains replacement considering risk and cost-benefit assessment

• Advanced analysis tools for management of water losses in urban aqueducts
• The influence of of phisical-environmental context and natural resources in analysing the development of urban layout and landscape in transadriatic regions
• Innovative tools for the simulation and analysis of water distribution networks
• Integrative Systems and the Boundary Problem (I.S.B.P.) - EU Project n. 043199/strep/2007 - Activity Code: NEST-2005-Path-CUL
• Ottimizzazione evolutiva multi-obiettivo e tecniche data-driven per la gestione dei sistemi idraulici - D.M. 5/08/2004, n. 262 – Internazionalizzazione 2004/2006