NYU-Poly’s Maurizio Porfiri Among Elite Engineers Selected to Join National Academy of Engineering Symposium
The National Academy of Engineering selected Maurizio Porfiri, assistant professor of the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, to join its 17th annual U.S. Frontiers of Engineering symposium in September. Chosen from engineers under the age of 45, Porfiri will join 100 of his peers at Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, for a two-day summit.
The Frontiers of Engineering program unites engineers in industry, academia and government to facilitate the exchange of ideas and transfer of new techniques and approaches across fields. This year’s symposium will focus on cutting-edge developments in four areas: Additive Manufacturing, Engineering Sustainable Buildings, Semantic Processing and Neuroprosthetics.
Porfiri has been recognized for his research exploring how the patterns of natural systems such as schooling fish, flocking birds and human crowd flow can inspire algorithms for coordinating robotic systems. He earned particular acclaim for his work on underwater robotics, including biomimetic robotic fish that are shedding light on leadership patterns in nature and could impact fields ranging from animal behavior science and aquacultural engineering to environmental and marine life conservation. Porfiri’s interests also include design and modeling of smart materials and structures for sensing, actuation and energy harvesting in aqueous environments and advanced materials for marine vessels.
In 2006, Porfiri established the Dynamical Systems Laboratory at NYU-Poly, where he advises a team of 20 post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students conducting research in underwater robotics and smart materials, experimental fluid mechanics, mechanics of composites and environmental engineering.
“The Frontiers of Engineering program brings together a select group of emerging engineering leaders from industry, academe and government labs to discuss pioneering technical work and leading edge research in diverse engineering fields and industry sectors,” said Kurt Becker, associate provost for research and technology initiatives at NYU-Poly. “We at NYU-Poly congratulate Dr. Porfiri for being selected as one of the next generation of engineering leaders.”
Porfiri is the recipient of multiple industry and academic honors for young scientists, among them the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award in Dynamical Systems. Recently, he was selected to lead a robotic fish workshop for children at the 2011 World Science Festival, and in 2010, he was named to Popular Science magazine’s list of young scientists to watch, the “Brilliant 10.” The John F. Kennedy Memorial Library and Museum chose him as one of the scientists, artists and leaders whose work reflects the inspiration of the late president.
Porfiri is the author of more than 70 journal papers in the broad field of mathematical modeling and control of complex systems.
About Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Polytechnic Institute of New York University (formerly Polytechnic University), an affiliate of New York University, is a comprehensive school of engineering, applied sciences, technology and research, and is rooted in a 157-year tradition of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship: i2e. The institution, founded in 1854, is the nation’s second-oldest private engineering school. In addition to its main campus in New York City at MetroTech Center in downtown Brooklyn, it also offers programs at sites throughout the region and around the globe. Globally, NYU-Poly has programs in Israel, China and is an integral part of NYU's campus in Abu Dhabi.
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