Professor Maurizio Porfiri
Institute Professor
Center for Urban Science + Progress Director, Core faculty
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Civil and Urban Engineering Associated faculty
Education
Ph.D., Engineering Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2006
Ph.D., Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Sapienza University of Rome, University of Toulon, 2005
M.Sc., Electrical Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 2001
M.Sc., Engineering Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, 2000
Experience
- 2022 – present: Director, Center for Urban Science + Progress, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2021 – present: Core Faculty, Center for Urban Science + Progress, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2020 – present: Institute Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2019 – 2021: Professor (Affiliated Faculty Member), Center for Urban Science and Progress, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2018 – present: Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2018 – present: Professor (Affiliated Faculty Member), Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2014 – present: Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2011 – 2014: Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2006 – 2011: Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2005 – 2006: Post-Doctoral Associate, Autonomous Systems and Controls Laboratory, The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Research Interests
Animal and human behavior, Complex systems, Control theory, Dynamical systems theory, Experimental and theoretical mechanics, Network science, Robotics
Mentoring Philosophy
I am passionate about mentoring others as a way of giving back for the support and guidance I have received throughout my life. I aim to assist my mentees in discovering and nurturing their passions, equipping them with the tools to assess their own skills and research abilities, and guiding them towards a shared goal of excellence. While each mentee may have unique talents, interests, and career aspirations, I believe in establishing a strong foundation of technical and professional skills that can benefit them all. Central to my mentorship approach are values of curiosity, integrity, scientific rigor, and hard work. I strive to be a role model for my mentees, demonstrating these qualities in my own work and encouraging them to do the same. Through mentorship, I seek to inspire and empower the next generation of scientists and engineers to reach their full potential.
Honors and Awards
- Aspen Institute Italia Award for scientific research and collaboration between Italy and the United States, 2024
- NYU Tandon Excellence in Research Award, 2021
- Invitee to the 4th World Laureate Forum, 2021
- Invitee to the 3rd World Laureate Forum, 2020
- Institute Professor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, 2020
- ASME Fellow, 2019
- IEEE Fellow, Control Systems Society, 2019 (“For contributions to biomimetic robotics”)
- ASME C.D. Mote, Jr. Early Career Award, 2015
- Invitee of Japan-America Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, National Academy of Engineering, 2014
- Jacobs Excellence in Education Award at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, 2014
- ASME Dynamic Systems & Control Division Young Investigator Award, 2013
- ASME Gary Anderson Early Achievement Award, 2013
- Outstanding Young Alumnus, College of Engineering Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2012
- Invitee of Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, National Academy of Engineering, 2011
- Jacobs Excellence in Education Award at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, 2011
- Popular Science Magazine’s list of “Brilliant Ten”, 2010
- NSF Career award (Dynamical systems), 2008
- H2CU medal, 2008
Current Editorial Activities
| He looked good, a free man, the world his oyster, nothing to hold him back … Garrison Keillor |
Sorrow found me when I was young, sorrow waited, sorrow won. The National |
Our lives don’t really belong to us, you see — they belong to the world, and in spite of our efforts to make sense of it, the world is a place beyond our understanding Paul Auster |