DrGiordanoScarciotti

Summary

I am a Senior Lecturer (~US Associate Professor) in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. My research interests are focused on analysis and control of uncertain systems (modeled by stochastic equations), model reduction and optimal control.

In this page you will find:
• A short bio
• Book: nonlinear model reduction by moment matching
• Research group
• To potential PhD students
• Teaching
• Highlights
• Selected publications

Short bio

Education: I obtained the B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Automation Engineering from the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy, in 2010 and 2012, respectively. I obtained a Ph.D. in Control Theory from Imperial College in 2016. While being in full-time employment I continued to study on the side and I obtained an M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics from Imperial College in 2020.

Employment: Since Sep '21 I am a Senior Lecturer in the EEE department. From Sep '17 to Aug '21 I was a Lecturer and from Aug '16 to Aug '17 I was a Junior Research Fellow (now known as Imperial College Research Fellowship) in the same department. From Feb '16 to Jul '16 I was a Research Associate in the Control and Power group. 
From Sep '21 to Jul '22 I was a Visiting Fellow of Shanghai University under the "SAFEA High-End Foreign Expert Program" (No. G2021013008L, earlier 21WZ0109).

International activities and recognition: I was a visiting scholar at New York University in 2015 and at University of California Santa Barbara in 2016. I am the recipient of the IET Control & Automation PhD Award (2016), the Eryl Cadwaladr Davies Prize (2017), an ItalyMadeMe Award (2017) and a President's Award for Excellence in Teaching Innovation (2022). I am Associate Editor of Automatica. I am a member of the IEEE CSS Conference Editorial Board (CEB), of the EUCA CEB, of the IFAC and CSS Technical Committee in Nonlinear Control Systems. I have been in the IPC of several conferences (ACC, CDC, IFAC WC, NOLCOS, MICNON). I was the National Organisation Commitee Chair for the EUCA European Control Conference 2022 and the Invited Session Chair for IFAC NOLCOS 2022. I am the National Organisation Committee Chair for 7th IFAC Conference on Analysis and Control of Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos and the Editor of the IFAC NOLCOS 2025.

My BSc (2010) and MSc (2012) have been funded by the Italian government (ADISU) and the European Union (ERAMUS). My PhD has been funded by the EPSRC, the EEE department and the European Union (through reduced fees). My JRF has been funded by Imperial College London.

Book: Nonlinear Model Reduction by Moment Matching 

by Giordano Scarciotti and Alessandro Astolfi
Now Publishers, July 2017, 202 pages, ISBN-13: 978-1680833300
Available on Amazon

Reduced order models, or model reduction, have been used in many technologically advanced areas to ensure the associated complicated mathematical models remain computable. For instance, reduced order models are used to simulate weather forecast models and in the design of very large scale integrated circuits and networked dynamical systems.

This monograph presents, in a uniform and complete fashion, moment matching techniques for nonlinear systems. This includes extensive sections on nonlinear time-delay systems; moment matching from input/output data and the limitations of the characterization of moment based on a signal generator described by differential equations. Each section is enriched with examples and is concluded with extensive bibliographical notes.

This monograph provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction into model reduction for researchers and students working on non-linear systems.

Research Group

• Han Bai (Since March 2020)
• Zilong Gong (Since September 2020)
• Junyu Mao (Since March 2021)
• Zirui Niu (Starting October 2022)
• Hanqing Zhang (Starting January 2023)

Past members
• Alberto Mellone (March 2018 - December 2021) - Then at Credit Suisse
• Pierluigi Di Franco (co-supervisor) (September 2016 - September 2019) - Then at Akronos Technologies

To potential phd students

I am always looking for potential PhD candidates. Prospective students are welcome to contact me by email. However, note that given the large amount of speculative emails I receive, I will reply to your email only if this contains:
(1) Evidence of a strong background in Systems and Control.
(2) Evidence of being the top student in your MSc/MEng degree.

Emails without evidence (1) and (2) will not be acknowledged and should be considered a rejection.

Teaching

Since 2016 I am the lecturer of Digital Control Systems ELEC97028 (EE9-CS1-3), a core module of the MSc Control and Optimisation programme. The module is also offered to 4th year MEng students ELEC97027 (EE4-24). Since 2017 the module is taught using a Team-Based-Learning approach (more info here).

Since 2018 I am one of the lecturers of Topics in Control Systems.

Starting from the academic year 2021-2022 I will be the lecturer of Advanced Optimisation offered to MSc and MEng students.

From 2018 to 2020 I was the lecturer of ELEC95012 EEE2 Electronics Design Project (EE2-PRJ), the Professional module of the 2th year MEng and BEng.

I am a 1st/3rd Year Tutor and the 1st Year Organiser (after being 2nd Year Organizer from 2018-2021).

HIghlights

• In 2023 I received the IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology Outstanding Paper Award for the paper "Nonlinear Energy-Maximizing Optimal Control of Wave Energy Systems: A Moment-Based Approach"
• In 2023 I received a Department Award for Citizenship and Community.
• In December 2022 I was approved as the National Organisation Committee Chair for 7th IFAC Conference on Analysis and Control of Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos.
• Since August 2022 I am Associate Editor at Automatica.
• In 2022 I received an appreciation plaque from EUCA in "recognition of leadership and service as National Organisation Committee Chair of the 20th European Control Conference".
• In 2022 I received a President's Award for Excellence in Teaching Innovation.
• In 2021 I was made Visiting Fellow of Shanghai University under the "Foreign Expert Program of Shanghai University (No. 21WZ0109), then continued under the "SAFEA High-End Foreign Expert Program" (No. G2021013008L, earlier 21WZ0109).
• In 2021 I was promoted to Senior Lecturer.
• In 2021 I was nominated for a Student Choice Award - Outstanding Teaching by the student union.
• In 2021 I was elevated to Senior Member of IEEE.
• In 2020 I was awarded a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics at Imperial.
• In 2020 I was nominated for a Student Choice Award - Outstanding Teaching by the student union.
• In 2019 I was nominated for a Student Choice Award - Best Tutor by the student union.
• In 2017 I was awarded an ItalyMadeMe award by the Italian Embassy in London in recognition of innovative research conducted in physical and engineering sciences as a young Italian researchers working in the UK. I wish to thank the Italian Cultural Association "Il Circolo" for sponsoring my award.
• In 2017 I was awarded the Eryl Cadwaladr Davies Prize for producing the best doctoral thesis during the academic year 2015/2016. I wish to thank Prof. Alessandro Astolfi for recommending my application.
• In 2016 I was awarded the IET Control & Automation PhD Award. I wish to thank Dr. David Angeli, Prof. Alessandro Astolfi and Prof. Malcolm C. Smith for supporting my application.
• From 13 August to 24 September 2016 I was a Visiting Scholar at UCSB, collaborating with Prof. Andrew Teel.
• In 2016 the Higher Education Academy granted me the status of Fellow (FHEA).
• In 2016 I was awarded a Junior Research Fellowship by Imperial. Starting in August 2016 I will work on my proposal: "A novel system theoretic approach for wireless power transfer systems with applications to implantable medical devices and consumer electronics".
• On the 1st of February 2016 I was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Imperial with the thesis "Approximation, Analysis and Control of Large-Scale Systems - Theory and Applications". My examiners were Dr. David Angeli and Prof. Malcolm C. Smith.
• From 04 September to 13 November 2015 I was a Visiting Scholar at NYU, collaborating with Prof. Zhong-Ping Jiang.
• In 2015 I was awarded the title of EEE Departmental GTA of the Year for my contributions to the teaching activities of the department.
• In November 2013 I visited MINES ParisTech, collaborating with Dr. Laurent Praly.

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

More Publications