Education

• Master’s Degree in Computer Science at the University of Udine (1991-1996). I discussed a thesis entitled The Modal Calculus of Events: Expressiveness and Complexity in the context of representation and reasoning about temporal knowledge under the supervision of Angelo Montanari.
• PhD in Computer Science at the University of Udine (1997-2001). I wrote a thesis entitled Dividing and Conquering the Layered Land about temporal and granular logic under the supervision of Angelo Montanari.
• Postdoc at the Information and Language Processing Systems Group at the University of Amsterdam (2002-2006). I investigated model checking of hybrid logics and XML technologies under the supervision of Maarten de Rijke.
• Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the University Gabriele D’Annunzio of Chieti and Pescara (2001-2006). As of November 2006 I moved to the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Udine.
• Associate Professor in Computer Science at the University of Udine (from 2016).

Research

Within the broad field of computer science I investigated various topics. This allowed me to dissect different aspects of information science without losing enthusiasm and creativity. I firmly believe in the concept of cross-pollination, that is, the fertilization of disciplines with methods and tools borrowed from different areas.

In particular, I investigated the topics of temporal representation and reasoning, modal and temporal logics, model checking, semi-structured data and XML technologies, bibliometrics, network science, data science, generative art. Lately, I am interested in blockchain and its applications to the digital art market (crypto art).

• peer-reviewed papers I have published;
• citations accrued by my articles.

Teaching

My teaching subjects are closely connected with my research topics since I aim for a synergistic effect between teaching and research investigation. I taught different topics at Italian universities and international schools, including algorithms, databases, XML technologies, network science, data science as well as generative art and creative computing.
I currently teach:

• Data science at the Bachelor of Science in Internet of Things, Big Data and Machine Learning of the University of Udine;
• Advanced data science at the Master of Science in Computer Science of the University of Udine, and
• Blockchain and its applications at the School for Advanced Studies of the University of Udine.

Art

Under the nickname hex6c I am an early crypto artist, one of the first in Italy to join this art movement. I mainly create with Processing, a language for coding within the context of the visual arts. My digital artworks are tokenized as nonfungible tokens (NFT) on galleries SuperRare, KnownOrigin, Async and MakersPlace.

I’m scientific advisor of Museum of Contemporary Digital Art, a museum platform devoted to the discovery and experience of contemporary digital art and the creation of a blockchain-based platform for artists, collectors and institutions. Since 2007 I have attended numerous workshops in theater and contemporary dance.