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Office Hours

M 10:30 AM-12:30 AM
W 10:30 AM-12:30 AM
R 10:30 AM-12:30 AM

Education:
University of Parma (Parma, Italy): B.S (1995) and Ph.D. (2000).

Career:
1) Postdoc positions (2000-2006) at:
- The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, UK.
- Service de Physique Théorique of CEA/Saclay, France.
- Spinoza Institute, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering,  Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.

2) Research Professor position (2006-2010) at:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering,  Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.

3) Assistant Professor at:
Department of Physics and Astronomy of Siena College(2010-2013)

Degree Program University
Ph.D. University of Parma, Italy

My Siena Experience

What I Love About Siena

  • Excellent Student/Faculty ratio (13:1 in 2018)
  • The learning goals at Siena College are aligned with my teaching goals and objectives. In particular "Siena is committed to a student-centered education emphasizing dynamic faculty-student interaction. Through a blending of liberal arts and professional education, Siena College provides experiences and courses of study instilling the values and knowledge to lead a compassionate, reflective, and productive life of service and leadership." (https://www.siena.edu/visit/about/mission/)

My Favorite Courses to Teach

  • Computational Physics
  • Introduction  to Nanoscience
  • Physics at the Nanoscale
  • Numerical Methods
  • Simulation and Modeling
because they overlap well with my current research interests (computational physics for systems at the nanometer scale). Science at the nanometer scale is a fast-growing fi eld, that is creating important technological advances and expanding job opportunities. Computational tools have become a main pillar because most experiments at the nanoscale require intense theoretical modeling and support from numerical simulations in order to analyze the data, interpret the result, understand the system, and be able to control its features.

My Professional Experience

Year Title Organization
2016 - Now Professor Siena College
2013 - 2016 Associate Professor Siena College
2010 - 2013 Assistant Professor Siena College

Current Research

My research interests focus on:
- Computational and Theoretical Physics
- Random Matrix Theory
- Biophysics (RNA and ssDNA; membrane theory)
- Soft condensed matter physics
- Nanoscale science


Articles & Book Reviews

  • Gegenbauer and Other Planar Orthogonal Polynomials on an Ellipse in the Complex Plane
    Constructive Approximation
    2020
  • Multicanonical Monte Carlo ensemble growth algorithm
    Physical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics), vol. 101
    2020
  • On Classical Hardware Verification and Security Techniques for Quantum Computing Systems
    GOMACTech 2019
    2019
  • The Impact of Data Science as a Liberal Art
    SPUR: Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research
    2019
  • Building a Library for Microelectronics Verfi­cation with Topological Constraints
    GOMACTech 2017
    2017
  • Optimization of the Listwise Deletion Method
    CLADAG 2017
    2017
  • Sampling Iso-Functional Signal Switches in Li­brary Circuits for Microelectronics Verification with Topological Constraints
    NAECON 2017
    2017
  • Classi fication and predictions of RNA pseudoknots based on topological invariants
    Physical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics), vol. 94
    2016
  • A Geometrical Framework for Covariance Matrices of Continuous and Categorical Variables
    Sociological Methods Research, vol. 44
    2015
  • Topological constraints of gate-level circuits obtained through standard cell recognition
    NAECON 2015
    2015
  • Topological constraints for E. F. Rent's work on microminiature packaging and circuitry
    IBM Journal of Research and Development, vol. 58
    2014
  • Buckling of multicomponent elastic shells with line tension
    Soft Matter, vol. 8
    2012
  • Charge renormalization of bilayer elastic properties
    Journal of Chemical Physics, vol. 137
    2012
  • Molecular Crystallization Controlled by pH Regulates Mesoscopic Membrane Morphology
    ACS Nano
    2012
  • Coulomb interactions in charged fluids
    Physical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics), vol. 84
    2011
  • Electrostatic-driven pattern formation in fibers, nanotubes and pores
    Soft Matter, vol. 7
    2011
  • Platonic and Archimedean geometries in multi- component elastic membranes
    PNAS, vol. 108
    2011
  • Shape change of nano-containers via a reversible ionic buckling
    Physical Review Letters, vol. 106
    2011
  • Structural phase transitions and mechanical properties of binary ionic colloidal crystals at interfaces
    Soft Matter, vol. 7
    2011

Awards & Distinctions

  • Trust-Co Excellence Honor ``for advancing the mission of Siena College'
    Category: Research
    Trustco Bank, 2015

Books & Book Chapters

  • Statistical Learning of Complex Data
    Springer
    2019
  • Studies in Classification, Data Analysis and Knowledge Organization

    2016
  • The Oxford Handbook of Random Matrix Theory
    Oxford University Press
    2011

Presentations

  • Multicanonical Population Monte Carlo
    2020
    Colloquia at California State University, Fullerton, Los Angeles, California
  • Ensemble Monte Carlo Growth simulations of polymers in confined environments
    2019
    APS Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts
  • A Random Matrix Theory study of Covariance Matrices of Continuous and Categorical Variables
    2015
    IFCS conference, Bologna, Italy
  • Topological Properties of Basic Combinational Logic Functions for Very Large Scale Integrated Circuits
    2015
    American Physical Society, San Antonio, Texas
  • Random Matrix Theory for Covariance and Auto-Covariance Matrices
    2014
    AFRL at the WPAFB, Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
  • Topological Properties of Basic Combinational Logic Functions for Very Large Scale Integrated Circuits,
    2014
    American Physical Society, Denver, Colorado
  • Matrix Field Theory for RNA Molecules
    2013
    Department of Physics, Union College Schenectady, Schenectady, New York
  • Nanoscale self-assembly: symmetries from electrostatics and elasticity
    2012
    Department of Chemistry, College of Staten Island CUNY,, New York, New York
  • RNA folding and Random Matrix Theory
    2011
    Williams College colloquium, Williamstown, MA, New York
  • Topological classi cation of RNA pseudoknots
    2011
    Hudson Valley RNA Club, Albany, New York