Professor Maurizio Porfiri
Institute Professor
Center for Urban Science + Progress Director, Core faculty
Department of Civil and Urban Engineering Interim Chair
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Technology Management and Innovation
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
- 2025 – present: Director, Urban Institute, NYU
- 2025 – present: Interim Chair, Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 2024 – present: Professor (Associated Faculty Member), Department of Technology Management and Innovation, NYU Tandon School of Engineering
- 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, 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 (Associated 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 |