Sergio Callegari is an Associate Professor in Electronics at the University of Bologna. His research interests are aimed at signal processing, low depth coding and ΔΣ modulation, as well as the engineering applications of complex dynamics systems and sensor systems. Currently, his activities are focused on the use of formal optimization techniques in the design of digital ΔΣ modulators and the design of circuits exhibiting chaotic dynamics for the synthesis of signals with pre-assigned statistical features.
Education
He graduated cum laude with a master in Electronic Engineering at the University of Bologna in 1996, after having accomplished part of his education abroad: first at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK (3rd year of undergraduate studies) and then at the King's College London, UK (preparation of his master thesis). In 2000, he earned a PhD in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Bologna, focusing on the analysis and synthesis of nonlinear circuits for the generation and processing of signals.
Academic career
After the PhD, he received some research contracts and was in charge of some teaching duties at the Universities of Bologna and Ferrara. In 2002 he became a Researcher and Assistant Professor in Electronics at the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering «Guglielmo Marconi» (DEI) at the University of Bologna, with activity in the School of Engineering and Architecture at the Cesena site. He became an Associate Professor in 2017. He is also a member of the Avanced Research Center on Electronic Systems «Ercole de Castro» (ARCES) and the Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Research in Information and Communication Technologies (CIRI ICT).
Teaching activity
He is currently in charge of the courses “Electronics for Analog Signal Processing” in the Master Degree program in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering for Energy (since 2006) and “Electronic Systems” in the Master Degree program in Advanced Automotive Engineering (since 2017), and of part of the course “Electronics” in the Degree programs in Electronics Engineering for Energy and Information and Biomedical Engineering. Previously, he has also been in charge of the courses “Electronics and Digital Systems”, “Sensors and Integrated Electronic Systems for Aerospace Engineering”, “Applied Electronics for the Aerospace”, “Electronics”, for Degree and Master Degree Programs in Aerospace Engineering. He also taught to PhD candidates, with a short course in “Digital High-Order ΔΣ Modulators: the Design of Noise Shaping Features as an Optimization Problem”.
Scientific activity
His current research activity includes circuits and methods for signal processing, with particular reference to nonlinear signal processing, circuits showing chaotic dynamics, sensors, testing, Delta-Sigma modulation and low-depth coding. He worked on the statistical approach to dynamical system theory and on the application of chaos to engineering themes, such as communications, the reduction of electromagnetic interference, the synthesis of signals with pre-assigned statistical features, and the generation of binary sequences. Among the most significant results, it is worth mentioning some architectures for the generation of truly random numbers and cryptographic keys. In the sensing area, he worked on transducers and sensing systems/networks for aerospace applications, as well as capacitive sensing and ultrasonic non-destructive testing. In 2008, 2009 and 2010 he was a visiting scientist for one month periods at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Currently, Sergio Callegari is author of 90 contributions to monographs, scientific journals and international conference proceedings, of 4 national patents, 4 contributions to national conferences, and an educational monograph with national distribution. He is also co-editor of a scientific book with international distribution.
He took part in many national and international research projects. Specifically: in 2011–2013 he was a research unit coordinator for the Reseach Project of National Interest (PRIN) «USUONI» (Non-destructive ultrasound test based on pseudo-orthogonal sequences for imaging and automatic classification of industiral products); in 2007–2009 he was coordinator for the local strategic project «OpIMA» (Optimized Impulse Modulations for Actuation); in 2005–20087 he was coordinator for the targeted basic research project «Processing techniques and devices for air data systems». Furthermore in 2012–2014 he was a participant in the European project «E2SG: Energy to smart grid» in the framework of the ENIAC Joint Undertakings; in 2005–2012 he took part an internationalization proect hosted at the University of Ferrara (with national funding) entitled «Application of Nonlinear Dynamics to Information Engineering»; in 2004–2008 he took part in the European project «EDITH: European Doctorate in Information Technology» (FP6-MCA-EST-504195), also being assigned to the day by day management by the coordinator through the 2007–2008 biennium. This latter project, funded under the Marie Curie actions, helped many early stage researchers to practice education and research across the seven european research sites part of the consortium.
Institutional activity and academic duties
Through the 2012 to 2017 period he was Member of the teaching board for the PhD Program in Electronics, Telecommunications, and Information Technologies Engineering (ET-IT) at DEI, University of Bologna. Previously, between 2003 and 2012 he was a member of the teaching board in the European PhD Course in Information Technologies at ARCES. In this role, he was a member of the Commission for the Admission in the PhD School in 2006 and a member of the Evaluation Commission for the awarding of the PhD title in Information Technology (Doctor Europeaus) in 2009.
Since 2013 e is a member of the Apprenticeship Commission for the Graduation Programs in Electronic, Computer Science and Telecommunications Engineering (electronics-telecommunications area). Previously, he was a member of the same Cmmission for the Graduation Program in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering. Since 2016 he is a member of a worgroup for quality certification within the University.
In addition to his duties at the University of Bologna, in 2017 he was an external examiner for the awarding of the PhD Title at University College, Doublin, Ireland. He had already had the same role in 2008 at the University of Pisa, in the framework of the PhD program in Aerospace Engineering. During his academic career he was invited in a few occasions to be an external supervisor or an external examiner for master theses discussed in other academic institutions, such as the Universities of Brescia and Ferrara.
Participation in scientific and editorial boards
He is currently Associate Editor for the international journal IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems — Part II (since 2016) and so he was previously through 2006–2007, while during 2008–2009 he was Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems — Part I. Currently, he is also Associate Editor for the international journal IEICE Nonlinear Theory and its Applications (NOLTA Journal), and he is a member of the Editorial Board for the journal Hindawi International Scholarity Research Notes (for the Computer Engineering area).
In multiple occasions he has been a Guest Associate Editor for special issues or sections of international journals such as the EICE Nonlinear Theory and its Applications (NOLTA) Journal and the IOP Journal of Physics.
In the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society he Chaired the Nonlinear Circuits and Systems Technical Committee in the 2015–2017 biennium. He is also a member of the Circuits and Systems Education and Outreach Technical Committee. His service activity in scientific dissemination made him committed to the organization committees of some international conferences (ISCAS 2018 — as the Finance Chair, NOLTA 2010 — as Special Session Co-Chair, NOLTA 2016 — as Publication Co-Chair, Eurodoc 2006, IWCCN 2004). Furthermore he was Track Chair for the nonlinear circuits and systems area at the conferences ICECS 2012, ICECS 2013, and ISCAS 2013, a member of the Technical Program Committee or a Session Chair at many international conference as well as the organizer of special sessions and tutorials.
Awards and recognitions
In 2004, he was a recipient of the IEEE CASS Darlington Award for the best paper bridging the gap between theory and practice among those published in the international journals IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems — Part I e Part II in the 2002-2003 biennium. During the national research assessment program VQR 2011–2014, one of his research products was rated excellent; in the VQR 2004–2010 three research products of him received an excellent rating; in the previous three-year assessment program CIVR 2001–2003, two research products of him were selected for evaluation and rated excellent.
Further participation in the national and international scientific community
In 2014, he was a Co-organizer of a half-day tutorial on «Digital High-Order Delta-Sigma Modulators: the Design of the Noise Shaping Features as an Optimization Problem» at the IEEE ICECS 2014 conference; in 2013, he co-arranged a special session on «Industrial NDT Ultrasonic Imaging»* at the IEEE DSP 2013 conference; in 2003, he was a co-organizer of a full day tutorial on «Chaotic and Random Point Processes: Analysis, Design and Application to Hybrid Systems» at the IEEE ISCAS 2003 conference.
Through 2005–2007, he was a Member of the National Board in the Italian Society of PhDs and PhD candidates.
